Apple and Cisco Both to Use iPhone Trademark

by Anton Shilov
02/21/2007 | 10:48 PM

Apple Computer and Cisco Systems agreed on Wednesday that both companies can use the iPhone trademark all around the world, resolving dispute involving the name. The companies also agreed to cooperate in certain areas, however, the exact terms of the agreement remained unclear.

“Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark,” a statement by Apple and Cisco reads.

Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear’s original filing for the trademark dates to March 20, 1996, the telecom company said. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early last year and in mid-December Linksys expanded the iPhone family with additional products, the firm reminded.

Apple obtained iPhone trademark in various trademark offices, including Europe, New Zealand and so on, whereas a company called Ocean Telecom Services LLC, which presumably belongs to Apple, obtained the rights to use iPhone trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Cisco filed a lawsuit in early January seeking to prevent Apple from using the trademark. Apple called the lawsuit “silly”, but the companies spent over a month to settle it down and even now the firms are unable to disclose all of its terms.

Apple claimed that its iPhone is a cellular phone, whereas Cisco’s iPhone works using Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, hence, the products are different and customers will hardly be confused. Cisco stressed that it owns all the rights on the iPhone trademark. It should also be kept in mind that many cellular phones nowadays feature VoIP technology and in several years the feature will become a “must have” one and Apple will have to implement the technology, which would put Apple iPhone into direct competition with Cisco’s iPhone.

“Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications. Other terms of the agreement are confidential,” the statement adds.