Apple - Cisco War Over iPhone Continues

The struggle between Apple and Cisco over "iPhone" is getting nasty as Cisco appears to be announcing to the world it has no desire to let go of its ownership of the name. According to the NY Post, Cisco bought a full page ad in the NY Times to toot their horn over its upcoming iPhone, in case there was any doubt about where this war over the name is going. Cisco's ownership of the trademarked name "iPhone" has been the focus of weeks of talks between the two tech giants. It has been a cloud over the recent release of iPhone at MacWorld.

Apple fans will surely frown on the function before form version of iPhone by Cisco. It's a wi-fi phone that is Skype compatible using Wireless-G, WIP320. Cisco's iPhone will scan for a  wi-fi access point before it fully boots its operating system. Not nearly as pretty or elegant as Apple's, Cisco's iPhone is set to be released in June of this year and it's been a long time coming - Cisco has owned the iPhone name since the year 2000. One possible and peaceful outcome of the Cisco/Apple name game is Apple releasing products that are compatible to each other under Cisco's iPhone name. The talks have been going on for weeks but still no conclusion. Cisco has agreed to extend the deadline of its lawsuit against Apple in hopes to reach some agreement.

 

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3 comments
Posted by Wayde on February 6,2007 at 9:18 AM
Waitaminute Lisa!

I am not convinced Cisco has immitated anything of Apple's. Unless you're one of those Apple fans that think anyone using a gui stole it from Apple.

Cisco has owned the name iPhone (Internet - Phone) ever since 2000. Apple had no designs on an iPhone back then - the iPod hadn't even been released yet, it  came out in 2001.
Posted by Lisa on February 6,2007 at 4:23 AM
Funny, Cisco immitates the interface from Apples computer interface. Then they use a name that links to Aple and then they accuse Apple of stealing?????? Cisco should be sued.
Posted by xntrk on February 5,2007 at 2:05 PM
Apple still fighting over this one?  There's no way Cisco will let that up, even if they got hundreds of thousands of dollars and a couple production factories in the Philipines for it. Why you ask?  Here are Cisco's top 10 reasons not to relinquish the iPhone name to Apple;

10 - name was already established
9 - copyrights are legally binding
8 - the "i" prefix represents a lot of "internet" based products/services
7 - Apple's naming conventions are uncreative and lame
6 - releasing a name of a product that's been registered is just plain ignant
5 - they want to make Apple lovers squirm
4 - Apple doesn't own the prefix "i"
3 - vex Steve Jobs
2 - lucrative promotion of their own product (paid for by Steve Jobs)

and the number 1 reason why Cisco will not give up the "iPhone" name is ... 'Cuz they can. Just being dicks!