Brazilian Electronics Company Revives Long-Running iPhone Trademark Dispute

Apple has been involved in a long-running iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, which was revived today by IGB Electronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics company that originally registered the "‌iPhone‌" name in 2000.

gradiente iphone white
IGB Electronica fought a multi-year battle with Apple in an attempt to get exclusive rights to the "‌iPhone‌" trademark, but ultimately lost, and now the case has been brought to the Supreme Federal Court in Brazil, according to Brazilian site Tecnoblog (via Reddit).

IGB Electronica under the name Gradiente produced a line of IPHONE-branded Android smartphones in Brazil in 2012, and there was a period of time where the Brazilian company was given exclusive rights to the ‌iPhone‌ trademark. That ruling didn't last, though, and Apple and IGB ultimately both wound up with rights to use the name in the country.

Apple has sought to prevent IGB from using the trademark, while IGB has been attempting to regain its exclusive access to the branding. A decision in 2018 upheld a 2013 ruling that gave both brands permission to use the trademark.

With the most recent lawsuit, IGB is aiming to reverse that 2018 decision, but the case could take years to get a ruling from the Supreme Federal Court in the country. IGB has been in judicial recovery since 2018 and has lost close to 1 billion Brazilian Reals, so the company may be hoping for a payout from Apple to end the dispute.

Popular Stories

General Black Friday Deals 24 Green Tinsel

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Friday November 22, 2024 5:28 am PST by
Black Friday 2024 is less than one week away, and as always the next few days will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals. Right now, this includes big savings on popular Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
anker new xmas 1

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...
Apple 2024 Black Friday Shopping Event feature

Apple Announces 2024 Black Friday Event, Offering Up to $200 Gift Card

Thursday November 21, 2024 5:10 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product. In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
silo tv show apple tv plus

Apple TV+ Releasing Next Week's 'Silo' Episode Early

Friday November 22, 2024 7:25 am PST by
The next episode of Apple TV+'s award-winning sci-fi series "Silo" will be released early. Apple previously announced that new "Silo" episodes would be released on Fridays, but the third episode of the second season will instead be released on Wednesday, November 27. Apple has likely bumped up the date so that people can watch the episode during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday,...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19's First New Feature Has Leaked

Friday November 22, 2024 6:22 am PST by
iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated...
ipads early bf deals

7 Best Black Friday iPad Deals for 2024

Saturday November 23, 2024 1:44 pm PST by
We're less than one week away from Black Friday on November 29, and Best Buy and Amazon currently have all-time low prices across Apple's entire iPad lineup. This includes Apple's 9th and 10th generation iPad, iPad mini 7, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which...
beats snow

Black Friday Deals Hit Beats Headphones With Up to 52% Off

Thursday November 21, 2024 12:05 pm PST by
Beats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This sale...

Top Rated Comments

Piggie Avatar
59 months ago

This random company decided FIVE YEARS after the release of the iPhone that they wanted to sell a competing product in their domestic market with the exact same name?
No wonder they never won.
To be fair to them, the article says they had registered the iPhone name in the year 2000.

SEVEN YEARS Later, Apple introduces a product onto the market and decided to also call it iPhone.

The company who had the name Seven Years before got a bit miffed about the situation.
Can't really blame them can you?

What if Apple had the iPhone name registered 7 years earlier and then another company used the same name?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Emanuel Rodriguez Avatar
59 months ago
Sounds like they just wanted to give their lawyers something to do, tbh.

We're all a bit bored in these coronavirus days.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
praetorian909 Avatar
59 months ago
Let’s not forget Apple paid Cisco for the trademarked name iPhone, and they had IOS before as well
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boss.king Avatar
59 months ago
It's always funny when Apple fanatics lose their minds over other companies infringing on Apple's patents, trademarks, IP, etc, but when Apple does it to a smaller business then suddenly it's fair game and those small companies should just suck it up close up shop.

I don't understand how Apple hasn't lost this one yet. Just pay the company a ******** of money for rights to use it, they own the trademark fair and square.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SDJim Avatar
59 months ago
This random company decided FIVE YEARS after the release of the iPhone that they wanted to sell a competing product in their domestic market with the exact same name?
No wonder they never won.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vault Avatar
59 months ago
Looks like this dispute will be an excuse for many people to **** on a whole country, or even continent. Just wow.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)