Apple iPhone versus the Cisco iPhone. What’s the deal here? Cisco has had the iPhone trademark since 1996. When the Linksys iPhone was released it was widely believed that Apple’s iPhone name was just a myth, just a play of words over the iPod brand name. However today Apple released iPhone, and they used that name. Huh?
What happened to the copyright issues? What deal have Apple and Cisco done? What does Cisco get in return? Money? GigaOm sheds some light.
This was Cisco’s response to the Apple iPhone announcement:
Given Apple’s numerous requests for permission to use Cisco’s iPhone trademark over the past several years and our extensive discussions with them recently, it is our belief that with their announcement today, Apple intends to agree to the final document and public statement that were distributed to them last night and that addressed a few remaining items. We expect to receive a signed agreement today
Really cryptic. Which only indicates that Cisco did allow Apple to use the iPhone name — but for what?
Update: Cisco just sued Apple over the iPhone name GigaOm reports. Looks like their ‘deal’ fell through.
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