Fujitsu Readies Lawsuit Over "iPad" Name 367
gyrogeerloose writes "In an event eerily reminiscent of Cisco's suit over Apple's use of the 'iPhone' name, Japanese firm Fujitsu is consulting its attorneys in preparation for going to court over Apple's use of 'iPad' for its latest computing device. Quoted in a New York Times story, Masahiro Yamane, director of Fujitsu's public relations division, said 'It's our understanding that the name is ours.' Fujitsu's application to trademark the iPad name stalled because of an earlier filing by another company and the US Patent and Trademark Office listed Fujitsu's application as abandoned in early 2009, but the company revived its application in June. Apple, which has applied for an international trademark on 'iPad' through a proxy company, has filed a number of requests with the US Patent Office for more time to oppose Fujitsu's application."
Eerily? (Score:3, Insightful)
There's nothing eerie about this situation. Can't people say "reminiscent" without prefacing it?
Apple should let Fujitsu have it... (Score:5, Insightful)
iWhale maybe? (Score:1, Insightful)
> Japanese firm Fujitsu is consulting its attorneys in preparation for going to court over Apple's use of 'iPad'
How about change it to iWhale instead? :)
iPadMax (Score:2, Insightful)
Double trademark trolls! (Score:2, Insightful)
earlier filing by another company
So what we have is ACME Inc that isnt even named files a trademark on "iPad" knowing full well that Apple prefixes all their products with an i. They do this on the off chance that Apple ever comes out with an "iPad" and they would be able to sue for big bucks. Fujitsu realizes the same thing and tries to put their own trademark on "iPad", but is blocked because someone else already owns it. Now Apple announces a real iPad and Fujitsu is pissed because they don't really own the trademark yet but want sue someone, and ACME Inc hasn't said anything about the trademark that they already own.
gotta love patent/trademark squatters.
Re:Moses has dibs on the Tablet... (Score:5, Insightful)
Moses didn't go to Sunday School either, he kept Sabbath. Sunday Heretics hmmmph
Re:welp (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Apple please change the name... (Score:5, Insightful)
I take it you're not married.
Re:welp (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Am I the only one? (Score:5, Insightful)
Making fun of it involves telling people about it.
The number of people who wouldn't buy one because of the name is vanishingly small.
So benefits far outweigh costs.
Re:Double trademark trolls! (Score:5, Insightful)
From the article... Fujitsu, which applied for an iPad trademark in 2003
Intel also used to try to keep the lower case i as their own trademark (as is i386, i486, etc.) before Apple launched the iPod.
Apple doesn't own the legal or moral rights to the lower case i prefix, they weren't even the first to use it.
Dear Steve Jobs, (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Am I the only one? (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes, no one could ever come up with jokes for that name. Especially not if something related to the product is delayed.
Re:Apple should let Fujitsu have it... (Score:2, Insightful)
The distance some go to defend Apple (Score:5, Insightful)
Bullshit! MagTek has an IPAD product [magtek.com], and has filed the trademark in 2000 [uspto.gov] which was later granted and then extended several times. Even Fujitus was and is after the name for their product much longer than Apple.
knowing full well that Apple prefixes all their products with an i
Apple doesn't own "iX" and it shouldn't get any special treatment. If it wants a trademark then should apply for it like everyone else. In this case it's late to the game, in fact too late.
Re:iWhale maybe? (Score:1, Insightful)
FUCK YOU WHALE!
Re:iFlatThingWithoutAKeyboard (Score:3, Insightful)
even better iDontCare
Re:welp (Score:5, Insightful)
Another great reason not to use twitter!
About the cows and chickens... (Score:4, Insightful)
Pity the cows and chickens.
Supercow AL RESCATE!
Name Change ‘Not That Big of a Deal’ S (Score:3, Insightful)
From Wired [wired.com]
Re:Am I the only one? (Score:5, Insightful)
The number of people who wouldn't buy one because of the name is vanishingly small.
If the product is good, that number will be zero. If the product is no good and fails, pundits will write for years about how the name killed it. Such is historical revisionism.
Re:welp (Score:2, Insightful)
There's nothing 'un-fine' or 'un-useful' about the word, but around these parts a 'pad' is a usually a feminine hygiene product.
Where the hell are "these parts"? The first thing I think of when someone says "pad" is a pad of paper.
Re:welp (Score:1, Insightful)
"If you paid attention to the Twitter feed when the iPad was announced, the jokes were coming from a lot of hot and bothered women. This is one area where they let their hair down and get nasty."
Ok, I understand this is Slashdot, and all, but this comment is just so pathetic. For me, this comment is a perfect example of the power of marketing and how even supposedly "tech savvy and thus obviously intelligent" people fall for the lamest marketing.
I don't "pay attention to the twitter feed" because I quickly realized it is the ultimate rumor mill, NOTHING more. The Marketeers planned it that way folks. It is a marketing rail that some people actually CAN use for other purposes, but realistically use for...well, gossiping.
As for the devices they are "gossiping" about, the changes from one generation of device to the next, even across developers, is so minutely incremental that only those with disposable cash can afford to keep up with "the latest" (which is all they are really doing. The latest "incarnation" is rarely anything that novel or different). The features are of limited value to begin with. Really, how many fucking ways do you need to communicate with someone? Do you really need access to the web when you leave the house? Can't you get through a few hours without consulting an electronic device for insight?
The Marketeers have finally figured out how to milk the "Tech Savvy and thus obviously intelligent" crowd...and let the tech savvy still think they are making informed, intelligent decisions about the technology we humans really need. The iPad ain't it, folks.
Think about it. This is what amounts to a highly over-priced Netbook with a phone jammed in it. Net result? Your COMPUTER is now locked to service contracts.
It all reeks of the old "getting one up on the Joneses" meme that, in the past, primarily inflicted the insecure-but-somehow-rich, yet now pervades the tech geeks as well.
*prepares to be carpet-bombed*
Re:welp (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Apple please change the name... (Score:3, Insightful)
So I take it you're not going to buy the (Product) RED special edition iPad?
It'll only be available for purchase during the gibbous moon.
Re:welp (Score:3, Insightful)
People still watch SNL after the age of 16? Wow ...
Re:Better name (Score:5, Insightful)
You're missing a rather important wrinkle... (Score:5, Insightful)
Bullshit! MagTek has an IPAD product [magtek.com]
Now look closer. The MagTek device in your link is a point-of-sale card swipe terminal, presumably sold mainly to the retail industry.
Now look at TFA. The Fujitsu iPad is a point-of-sale card-swipe terminal sold mainly to the retail industry.
The Apple iPad, meanwhile, is a consumer appliance, conspicuously lacking a card-swipe device and is not primarily targeted at the point-of-sale market.
Or, in other words, MagTek have Fujitsu banged to rights for infringing their trademark, whereas Apple have a strong argument that they're not operating in the same market.
Re:welp (Score:3, Insightful)
The "i" is a lot more trivial and insignificant than "Think" or "Note" - not to mention that notepad is a pre-existing word, so people are less likely to think of the association.
Re:welp (Score:3, Insightful)
"For the web comic artists, being able to present their archives or create a 24-page comic in near full-sized and color is absolutely amazing."
So Apple gets to sell you a home computer AND a netbook (with a phone you say you don't need) all so you can do what you can do on the home computer...well, anywhere?
Looking at the specs on the iPad (and knowing what kind of hardware you need to do any REAL graphics processing...20 layers of Photoshop is going to lock up solid on an iPad), I'm guessing you're going to be doing most of it on the home machine anyways.
So, you essentially bought Apple's sales pitch hook, line and sinker.
Re:You're missing a rather important wrinkle... (Score:4, Insightful)
Or, in other words, MagTek have Fujitsu banged to rights for infringing their trademark, whereas Apple have a strong argument that they're not operating in the same market.
That certainly didn't stop Apple going after Woolworth's in Australia for trademark infringement [smh.com.au], despite the latter being a supermarket chain. Although Woolworth's doesn't sell computers, Apple claimed that they someday might.
Claiming protection from potential infringement while failing to do due diligence in assessing the availability of a trademark before using it? Either Apple's totally taking the piss or the company has a delusional sense of entitlement.