“Apple and Cisco are nearing an agreement that could resolve their dispute over rights to the iPhone name in an out-of-court settlement. However, the companies said they need more time to conclude discussions on ‘trademark rights and interoperability,'” John Walko reports for EE Times.
Walko reports, “When Cisco filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court of North California last month, Mark Chandler, senior vice president and general counsel of Cisco, said the company had been negotiating with Apple ‘in good faith’ after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use the name… Apple’s initial response was that Cisco’s stance was ‘silly.'”
Full article here.
Joint Statement from Apple and Cisco Regarding iPhone
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. January 31, 2007 – Apple and Cisco have agreed to extend the time for Apple to respond to the lawsuit to allow for discussions between the companies with the aim of reaching agreement on trademark rights and interoperability.
Related articles:
Cisco could be on brink of losing iPhone name in Europe – January 13, 2007
Experts: Cisco lost rights to ‘iPhone’ trademark last year – January 12, 2007
Surprise, surprise, surprise: Cisco demos Apple TV-like device – January 12, 2007
Analysts: Cisco ‘iPhone’ trademark suit likely to have little impact on Apple, to be quickly settled – January 12, 2007
iPhone more than a trademark for Apple CEO Steve Jobs – January 11, 2007
Jim Cramer: Why Cisco really sued Apple – January 11, 2007
Cisco General Counsel explains ‘iPhone’ lawsuit; Cicso wanted interoperability with Apple iPhone – January 11, 2007
Apple calls Cisco’s ‘iPhone’ trademark lawsuit ‘silly,’ says ‘very confident we’ll prevail’ – January 11, 2007
Cisco sues Apple for ‘iPhone’ trademark infringement – January 10, 2007
The only thing really wrong with Apple’s iPhone is its name – January 09, 2007
Briefly: Apple changes corporate name; Cisco expects agreement on ‘iPhone’ trademark today – January 09, 2007
Apple debuts iPhone: touchscreen mobile phone + widescreen iPod + Internet communicator – January 09, 2007
The whole thing was phony.
No surprise. iPhone it is. Another reason to disregard all those doomsayers..
‘interoperability’ is the key word here, what do Cisco want in return for Apple using the iPhone name?
They want Apple to induce them somehow to change their product’s name to i-Phony.
It is silly when Cisco wants more than money. I bet Apple is offering Cisco a generous amount of money. Yet Cisco refuses because they want “interoperability”. Apple has no time to become partners and get themselves involved with Cisco 24/7. It truly seems Cisco wants to force a partnership in exchange for the name, a trademark they are very willing to let go.
I really see this as an opportunity for both parties and have mentioned it before.
Cisco is looking for interoperability. They really don’t care about this small VoIP phone. What they want is to be associated with Apple. What Apple really needs with the iPhone is to be accepted by the corporate world.
Apple needs to work with Cisco to have Cisco provide the ‘in’ to the Corporate environment. Cisco can link to the Outlook mail server, providing the push technology for the Apple iPhone. Extending that even more, Cisco can turn the Apple iPhone into a VoIP phone while in the corporate environment. Imagine how the corporate big wigs would react if they could have a phone in the office that they just take with them on the road?
I don’t think any money is being exchanged in this deal. Cisco wants to get rid of their nerdy image and wants to be cool.
Don’t you get it already ?
It is all for free publicity.
I think Apple will call it Apple Phone.
Investor,
I hope you are right, I need VOIP, work in Mexico and cingular roaming is 59 cents a minute, would love to have voip when I am in a hot spot
“What Apple really needs with the iPhone is to be accepted by the corporate world.”
No, they don’t. It’s really o.k. to market a consumer product and make a huge profit. Screw the corporate market. There’s billions to be had in the consumer arena and demand will be off the charts. So many whiners already about what the iPhone doesn’t have for corporate users. So what? It would be a different product if it was intended for corporations. Not every product has to be the perfect fit for every market. Gee, that 2-door commuter would be perfect for our CEO if it only had more doors, a larger wheelbase, a bigger engine, leather upholstery . . . At what point is this a different car?
What’s the difference between a Mac mini and a Mac Pro? They’re both Macs.
The market? You think?
“Apple Phone” would definitely be better because it puts Apple’s company name right on everyone’s lips, unlike “iPhone,” which just continues on a dated concept.
They changed the “i” branded computers to “Mac,” so this delay may be a way for Apple to stall Cisco until just before the release.
If they wait until the release, they can’t get everyone on board with the new name, if they do it now, i will confuse and look like a defeat.
I agree with the previous post that says that they’ll call it Apple Phone, and I bet this was the whole plan all along.
The hardware margins can be small in the corporate market, particularly as a segment matures and becomes a commodity (i.e., Windows PCs). Just ask Dell.
Truth Decay is 1,000 percent right. I am so sick of hearing about how a product will fail because it does not bend over backwards to satisfy some corporate drone.
Cisco is Appl’e bitch.