Apple and Cisco to Continue Negotiations Over iPhone Trademark

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

Apple and Cisco to Continue Negotiations Over iPhone Trademark

8:00 am on February 2, 2007 | Category: Business, Mobile Devices, Cell Phones, Law

Cisco Systems and Apple have agreed to continue negotiating towards a mutually agreeable settlement in regard to the ongoing iPhone trademark dispute, the two companies said late on Wednesday.

Both have agreed to extend the time available for negotiations, while Cisco’s lawsuit against Apple’s use of the iPhone brand name remains in limbo.

Cisco’s wireless networking division, Linksys, currently holds a U.S. trademark on the word “iPhone,” and has launched a number of wireless VoIP telephones under that brand. Lawyers for the networking giant claim that Apple’s forthcoming iPod cell phone product is “deceptively and confusingly similar” to the Linksys iPhone devices.

The extension of negotiations is a significant divergence for Apple, which just last month called the lawsuit “silly,” and said that “if Cisco wants to challenge us, we’re confident we’ll prevail.”