You had been reading here that Linksys (subsidiary of Cisco) launched recently a VoIP phone named iPhone, a direct threat to the brand that Apple wants to use for its newest phone line. Now, it seems that the situation does not seem as clear-cut as it appeared initially. Immediately after Apple’s announcements, Cisco had filed lawsuits claiming trademark infringement. But OUT-LAW.com has shown a way out for Apple.
In European law (and possibly in US law, too), if a trademark is registered but not used in the following 5 years, it may be challenged by others. Actually, this is the situation for the iPhone trademark: It is quite old (I could not find the registration date) and it may not have been used. So, Apple may be able to grab it right from Cisco hands…
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