Apple Can't Use The iPhone Name in Mexico

The Wooster

King Snap
Jul 15, 2008
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Apple Can't Use The iPhone Name in Mexico


Apple's trademark lawsuit against Mexican telecommunications company, iFone, has backfired horribly.

Apple's zealous protection of its trademarks may have cost the company dearly, if a report from Mexican newspaper, El Universal, is to be believed.

In 2009, Apple launched a lawsuit against Mexican telecom company, iFone, arguing that consumers wouldn't be able to tell it and the iPhone apart. Now the name iFone does bear a striking resemblance to that of Apple's ludicrously successful shiny tray/phone hybrid, but here's where things get interesting; the iFone trademark was registered in 2003, back when the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Apple didn't register the iPhone trademark until 2007.iFone won the lawsuit, then counter sued and won that case too. Apple appealed, but the case was tossed out last week.

According to the Judges sitting in Mexico's 18th District Appellate Court, iFone is the only company allowed to use the "iPhone" or "iFone" brands in Mexico. The ruling could even be applied retroactively, allowing iFone to claim a sizable chunk of the profits Apple has made using the brand name in Mexico.

As iFone's lawyer, Eduardo Gallástegui, explained to El Universal (as translated by the clever chaps over at The Register):

"All that remains is processing claims for invasion of brand. Additionally, they face a sanction of up to 20,000 days at minimum wage rate, and iFone shall be entitled to claim compensation for damage caused by the invasion of their brand. These damages may not be less than 40 per cent of the sales of iPhone services in Mexico, as provided by law."

This is the second time in recent months that one of Apple's copyright/patent lawsuit has backfired. In July, a UK judge ordered the company to publish a statement on its UK Homepage saying that, contrary to its earlier claims, Samsung had not in fact infringed on one of its registered iPad designs. Apple complied, but in a rather snide, passive aggressive way. The apology, hidden behind a tiny link at the bottom of the company's UK frontpage, was filled with digs at Samsung - including quotes from a judge saying Samsung's Galaxy tablet was "not as cool" as the iPad - and ended with a claim that courts in other countries had ruled in Apple's favor. Not amused by Apple's behavior, the judge reprimanded the company for putting up an "incorrect" and "non-compliant" statement and ordered them to put up another one, in a larger font.

Source: El Universal [http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/finanzas/98620.html] via The Register [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/02/iphone_ifone_mexico_trademark/]


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Zombie_Moogle

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Dec 25, 2008
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Does this count as patent trolling? It feels like Apple is patent trolling a bit here. I think Mexican people can tell the difference between "Ph" and "F"
 

DrunkOnEstus

In the name of Harman...
May 11, 2012
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Kinda reminds me of that company going after Nintendo in the 80's, I believe it was over the use of the word "Kong". Just because you're huge, and the opposition you wish to crush is relatively tiny, doesn't mean you just automatically get your way and that laws don't apply to you. Particularly if your goal is to go into another country and tell their judge what to do with one of their companies :3
 

antipunt

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Jan 3, 2009
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striking resemblance to that of Apple's ludicrously successful shitty tray/phone hybrid
no hate, that's just how I read it when I first saw it. No joke

 

Covarr

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May 29, 2009
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DrunkOnEstus said:
Kinda reminds me of that company going after Nintendo in the 80's, I believe it was over the use of the word "Kong".
That was Universal. The basis for the lawsuit was that Nintendo was copying King Kong... they lost on the grounds that they had previously (successfully) won a different lawsuit against RKO by saying King Kong was in the public domain, thus Universal did not own any rights for Nintendo to infringe to begin with.

P.S. Thanks
 

teh_gunslinger

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. did it better.
Dec 6, 2007
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Zombie_Moogle said:
Does this count as patent trolling? It feels like Apple is patent trolling a bit here. I think Mexican people can tell the difference between "Ph" and "F"
Patent trolling is basically what Apple has been doing for some years by now. I for one welcome this slap in the face to the arrogant tossers.
 

Jiefu

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May 24, 2010
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Ronack said:
Honestly, this is just beautiful. First come, first served. Apple should have done their research.
When reading it, yeah. However, I'm not so sure they can tell the different between the homophonic (in English) sounds when the words are spoken, such as by a salesperson or in the audio component of an ad.
 

BlackStar42

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Jan 23, 2010
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Oh this is karma, this is justice, this is...beautiful. Samsung just got their birthday and Christmas present rolled into one here.
 

shiajun

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Jun 12, 2008
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I experienced one of these things first hand. When Smucker's arrived in Mexico they tried to use their quilt-like design on their jam bottles. However, one of my dad's clients had been in Mexico for 20 years prior, using a very similar design and trademarked the use of the quilt-like design for jam jars. The lawsuit was doomed for failure for Smucker's, so I thnk they settled. I can't remember quite well, I was very young at the time. So yeah, smallish company can battle against mucher bigger foes when rules are obeyed.
 

Hagi

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Apr 10, 2011
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Hrm... seems Apple must have their own search engine in development to compete with Google.

I can't think of any other explanation for them missing iFone's 2003 patent besides using the Apple Maps technology applied to internet searches.

I mean seriously... what did they expect would happen when suing over a brand name infringement against someone who had that brand name before you did...
 

JarinArenos

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Jan 31, 2012
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Take that, you lawsuit-happy twits!

Captcha: super star. Yeah, I bet that sums up how iFone is feeling right about now.
 

Evil Smurf

Admin of Catoholics Anonymous
Nov 11, 2011
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Oh my, it looks like it is not only batman that eats justice for breakfast.
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/171/266/tumblr_lkwnhgQEJM1qabfx1o1_400.gif

Seriously though, can't Apple just rename the "iphone" for Mexico?
 

Lyri

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Dec 8, 2008
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Grey Carter said:
a report from Mexican newspaper, El Universal.
Fuck this article, I'm just going to sit here giggling like a child because of the name of the newspaper.