ITV Warns Apple (Again) Not to Use Their Name [Updated]

[Mad-B-One]

How about...

...iVision or iTheatre or eyeTV or AiTV or SJTV? No, seriously, it doesn't matter. I think the "confusion" everyone sees is not even there. If I say, "yea, I bought an iTV" everyone knows I didn't buy a station nor a TV channel. I bought hardware. Look at Microsoft: If I got Windows on my computer, everyone will think I use MS operating system - even though I have a side pannel on my PC through which you can see my hardware (it was on sale and $50 cheaper than the one without). The confusion is just artificial. Actually, it could help ITV. How about they campaign together? Do a little overhaul if ITV with the clean white & silver plus Helvitica. Someone posted earlier that ITV isn't doing so well lately, maybe that is a chance rather than a threat. Since both companies are not competing, it is so bogeous to even see it as such. The maximum impact possible is that the name ITV will be used more often. In GB, everyone knows ITV and will associate the station and company with it in the right context. If it is about hardware, everyone somewhat tech savvy will know it is an Apple product.

 

[Therbo]

...iVision or iTheatre or eyeTV or AiTV or SJTV? No, seriously, it doesn't matter. I think the "confusion" everyone sees is not even there. If I say, "yea, I bought an iTV" everyone knows I didn't buy a station nor a TV channel. I bought hardware. Look at Microsoft: If I got Windows on my computer, everyone will think I use MS operating system - even though I have a side pannel on my PC through which you can see my hardware (it was on sale and $50 cheaper than the one without). The confusion is just artificial. Actually, it could help ITV. How about they campaign together? Do a little overhaul if ITV with the clean white & silver plus Helvitica. Someone posted earlier that ITV isn't doing so well lately, maybe that is a chance rather than a threat. Since both companies are not competing, it is so bogeous to even see it as such. The maximum impact possible is that the name ITV will be used more often. In GB, everyone knows ITV and will associate the station and company with it in the right context. If it is about hardware, everyone somewhat tech savvy with know it is an Apple product.

And? ITV own the trademark and less tech-savy people such as old people who see it on TV might get confused.

 

[farleysmaster]

There's no way Apple would settle for a watered-down brand, for what will become their most radical industry changer since iTunes. Whatever it takes.

iTV will change our viewing world - we'll likely say 'did you see that on iTV?' before 'TV' again becomes the vernacular. No small, single-country, dumbed-down broadcaster is going to stand in the way. Indeed, given the mucky reputation of the UK's ITV channel, buying it would provide Apple with a content provider, a full set of domains, no legal challenges, and a cleaner association with the abbrev. iTV (even if ITV is mucky in the UK alone). Can't see any obstacle would be high enough - no price even approaching the revenue ambition of iTV.

ITV's not mucky. It's just your typical (non-BBC) TV channel and happens to make Downton Abbey.

It may be watered down, though, and it seems unlikely that one of the biggest tech/internet-using countries would get a second hand brand name. It would make Apple look cheap and uninformed.

 

[Apple Key]

Brainstorm of iNames (not all names would be good, just random ideas though):

iScreen
iView
iVision
iMedia
iWall
iStream
iContent
iShow
iWatch
iDisplay
iVisual
iPanel
iVideo

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Apple is being picked on left and right.

 

[farleysmaster]

Brainstorm of iNames (not all names would be good):

iInfection?

 

[Mac2012]

The use of ITV will still be an issue.
As others have said, it would be more factual to call it "i couldn'tcareless." Even then, your statement isn't funny.


Apple is hysterical when it comes to these things. They're the first to stomp on anyone trying to use their "property" and yet when the time comes they almost dabble in the possibility of using the name. Apple needs to find another name, ITV shouldn't give up their name on principle alone.

Now your a grammar teacher ha ha... "iwhatever" he he...

 

[Bubba Satori]

Apple is being picked on left and right.

Leave Apple alone.

 

[babyj]

I can't believe this comes up for discussion every few months.

To put it in context for Americans, Apple calling a TV product "ITV" is no different than calling it "ABC" or "CBS" or "NBC". They wouldn't do it without getting permission first as they'd be in court (and would lose) before the product hit the streets.

Getting permission is doable but very unlikely as it would cost far too much money. This isn't like getting the rights to a name that isn't used or is used in a totally different market - think high tens or even hundreds of millions.

 

[batchtaster]

Do you think ITV would get away with making a new music programme called The Itunes Show?

Trademark law is composed of segments. Hasbro, for example, lost the rights to "Bumblebee" in the toy segment some time after the 90s, and only regained it recently. However, during the period where they had lost the rights, they were legally able to market a version of the original figure under the name "Bumblebee" by adding a chain and clip to it and selling it as a keychain, not a toy. I don't know the actual legal situation of this, but suffice to say that it's guaranteed to be more complicated than "omg Apple are teh evil" or "ITV sux". Consider, for example, eyeTV, which is phonetically the same, resides in a market segment that may be more relevant to such an Apple-branded product, while still co-existing with ITV.

The armchair lawyers on both sides need to shut up and get some real legal advice. Because, like the whole "Motorola wins iPhone injunction" thing, the whole situation can completely flip in a matter of hours, and the armchair "experts" just wind up looking stupid.

And then it flips again.

 

[Kid A]

If they're deadset on making it an iDevice, they could also some synonym for TV like iTelly(Since ITV is British and most Brits call it a telly) or iTube(Google will surely like that).

iTube? iCRT? iObsoleteTechnology?

 

[acfusion29]

Whatever apple names it, people will like it.

 

[farleysmaster]

Whatever apple names it, people will like it.

Like the Apple Hifi...?

 

[qtx43]

[ITV's] audience even includes Queen Elizabeth II.

Why didn't you say so before! Case closed!

Just for the record, I'm being sarcastic, ITV clearly owns this trademark, and your queen is not an object of ridicule. Not much anyway.

 

[aperantos]

iView has ben suggested, but ABC would have a similar complaint as it is the name for their equivalent of the iPlayer.

Given the existence of the Apple TV though, the obvious name for a television set would be the Apple TV Pro.

 

[MonkeySee....]

Looks like the update on the thread has made a mug of us all anyway so it doesn't matter. haha

 

[allmIne]

306 billion pence, £3Bn

If people are going to quote stock market stats they should learn to read them.

I edited the post and left the original statement.

No need to be rude; I simply totally muddled up my post. Take heart, though; t'is only the internet!

 

[farleysmaster]

Looks like the update on the thread has made a mug of us all anyway so it doesn't matter. haha

The whole thing is genius:

Update: In a statement to The Verge, ITV has denied that it sent any such warning to Apple.
In a statement to The Verge, ITV said that, "The Telegraph's piece is entirely speculative, and there has been no communication between ITV and Apple. ITV has no further comment on the matter."

"News: The Broadcaster ITV did not ask Apple to rename a product that they haven't named (or produced)."

 

[sphexx]

iGoggle

The perfect name is staring you all in the face – iGoggle. TV is also sometimes known as the gogglebox in UK at least. Who on earth could object to iGoggle .. Oh no, wait …

 

[Robertus]

Why can't they just call it "iTelly"?

 

[The Phazer]

Trademark law is composed of segments. Hasbro, for example, lost the rights to "Bumblebee" in the toy segment some time after the 90s, and only regained it recently. However, during the period where they had lost the rights, they were legally able to market a version of the original figure under the name "Bumblebee" by adding a chain and clip to it and selling it as a keychain, not a toy. I don't know the actual legal situation of this, but suffice to say that it's guaranteed to be more complicated than "omg Apple are teh evil" or "ITV sux". Consider, for example, eyeTV, which is phonetically the same, resides in a market segment that may be more relevant to such an Apple-branded product, while still co-existing with ITV.

The armchair lawyers on both sides need to shut up and get some real legal advice. Because, like the whole "Motorola wins iPhone injunction" thing, the whole situation can completely flip in a matter of hours, and the armchair "experts" just wind up looking stupid.

And then it flips again.

Yes, but ITV own the name in virtually every vaguely related category. Certainly the ones an Apple TV might fall into, as ITV are part owners of several set top box consortiums (Freesat & YouView for a start).

Phazer

 

[oscillatewildly]

Drop the 'i', it's tacky, done to death...

Cheers,
OW

 

[Pontavignon]

Itv

Tell me again why we are discussing a hypothetical name for an imaginary product?

Perhaps a more productive speculation would be: how could Apple best make large sums of money by a disruptive entry into a market characterised by: saturation, intense competition, low margins, and expensive, segmented content.

I don't say it can't be done, although I don't think Apple can do it with a TV set. More likely through the iPad and Apple TV, version 3 in both cases.

Ideas.

 

[rcp27]

Consider a customer in an Apple store in the UK.
"so what's this then?"
"it's an iTV. It lets you watch movies and TV shows from iTunes on your TV"
"So it lets me watch ITV on my TV? What's the point in that, I can already watch ITV. And the BBC too. And Channel 4"
"no, you can watch iTunes TV shows and movies."
"so it's not showing ITV stuff then?"
"only if it's in the iTunes store"
"so why is it called the ITV then?"
"it's not, it's the iTV"
"??"

For this reason alone, it would be a good idea to avoid the name iTV in the UK market.

 

[kallenberg]

It's an open and shut case though - ITV own the trademark and Apple can't use it in the territories where they hold it.

Indeed, any co-usage must be amicable; and the UK broadcaster last month dropped its US 'ITV' trademark http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4006:4ebl5r.2.8
Hardly a sign of backbone or intent to fight. A swift rebrand to Independent Television, and Apple takes over the iTV Player platform for content, and iTV for the next generation of television (a la iTunes). Win-win.
www.itv.com and all related domains secured - for peanuts.