Fujitsu Possibly Gearing Up For Fight Over 'iPad' Trademark in U.S.

Last week, we uncovered evidence of Apple seeking to trademark the "iPad" name in a number of countries, foreshadowing the name of Apple's tablet device announced yesterday. At the time, we noted that Apple had not applied for an "iPad" trademark in the U.S., ostensibly due to Fujitsu already holding a claim to the name there. Further investigation soon revealed, however, that Apple has filed multiple requests to extend the allowable time period for it to oppose Fujitsu's still-pending trademark application. In addition, an Apple shell company finally did apply for the "iPad" trademark in the U.S.

The New York Times reports, however, that Fujitsu does not appear to be going down without a fight, seeking to protect the name of its iPad device for retail inventory management.

"It's our understanding that the name is ours," Masahiro Yamane, director of Fujitsu's public relations division, said Thursday. He said Fujitsu was aware of Apple's plans to sell the iPad tablet and that the company was consulting lawyers over next steps.

The report notes that Fujitsu's iPad bears a number of similarities to Apple's iPad, including a color touchscreen, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as support for VoIP calling. Apple currently has until February 28th to file its opposition to Fujitsu's "iPad" trademark application, although it could request a further extension with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple's choice of the "iPhone" name similarly stepped on others' toes with its announcement in January 2007, and Cisco quickly sued Apple upon Apple's iPhone introduction after negotiations regarding the iPhone trademark owned by Cisco and used for its line of Web-enabled telephones had not resulted in an agreement to that point. The dispute was quickly resolved, with both companies allowed to use the iPhone name.

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...