Quote:
Originally Posted by Apache
I would think you would maintain the trademark just to prevent someone else from trademarking the name.
Apache
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Costs a lot and has to be done in multiple places: USA, EU etc. Even then if someone has deep pockets and better lawyers, or determination they can take it:
iPad: Was Fujitsu
iPhone: Was Cisco
Apple and logo of a bitten Apple used by Apple Computers (now Apple) was the Beatles’ Apple Corp (a pun too), though the logo differed (completed core). Apple Computers lost twice, but got to keep name. First time they agreed to keep out of Music business. Then they launched iTunes. Remaining Beatles sued and got compensation again.
Apple DID lose to Swiss Rail and have to ditch appearance of a clock.
Apple won cases against Microsoft (Desktop) and Samsung (phone) they should never have won (not original, not unique, not novel/ prior art etc). The original iPhone (2007) was Samsung CPU, and bought in Fingerworks GUI. Trolltech's QT Phone edition and MS Zune (2006) were tiled GUIs before iPhone release and there were loads of similar form factor devices in 1990s. Some earlier phones had tiled GUI and Smartphones existed since 1998. Apple had not a single innovation in iPhone. Capacitive touch was 1980s and wasn't used by existing phones so they could have high resolution for sketch/handwriting, though most needed that for GUI too. The Apple innovation on iPhone was the marketing; all you can eat data (or large) + iPhone sub of one carrier per market when users in most places paid per second connect time or per Mbyte.
There were iRiver, Cowan, Rio and Creative mp3 players before iPod (release 2001, though iTunes was earlier). It was the 99p/99c per track deal with record companies that made the iPod a success, not anything to do with device. MS 'Plays For Sure' & MS Zune player (based on Toshiba HW, but own SW) was 5 years too late and doomed.
There were desktop WIMP GUIs since 1976 (long before Lisa/Mac from Apple. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had both seen Xerox GUI).
The USA USPTO has been broken since Victorian times when Edison exploited it. Later RCA was the behemoth that bullied via patents. Replaced by Qualcomm, IBM, Oracle and Apple today. A UK "Registered Design" is like a 3D physical trademark and is a USPTO "Design Patent".