Trademarks

Computing

Apple Denied The Multitouch Trademark

8:55AM September 27, 2011 | Casey Chan

It’s not hyperbolic to say that the iPhone and iPad have introduced multitouch to the masses. Apple thought that they could trademark it. Unfortunately for them, the United States Patent and Trademark Office thinks differently. They’ve denied Apple the multitouch trademark. More »


Geek Out

Belarusian iFrukt Juice Laughs At Apple’s Puny Trademarks

1:20AM July 8, 2011 | Sam Biddle

The juicemongers behind iFrukt either give zero f–ks about the legal ramifications of ripping off Apple’s trade dress and using the come sue us! iPrefix – or maybe there just aren’t any intellectual property laws in Belarus? Infringement is delicious! More »


News

Apple Probably Can’t Make Amazon Stop Saying ‘Appstore’

8:21AM June 23, 2011 | Michael Zhao

Apple’s been trying to stop Amazon’s use of “Appstore” since its inception. Unfortunately for them, the federal judge presiding over the case said that Apple’s difficulty in presenting evidence of customer confusion will likely lead to her denying the motion More »


Online

ProTip: Unless You Like Lawyers, Don’t Use An Apple Trademark In Your Website Name

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2:15PM May 25, 2011 | Nick Broughall

It’s not exactly news that Apple has an army of lawyers who vehemently fight to protect Apple’s trademarks. You know – words like iPod, iPhone, iTunes… So if you want to avoid the Cupertino company’s wrath, best not stick iTunes in your site’s name, and avoid using Apple’s own logo. More »


Entertainment

Hulu Will Probably Launch Gimped In Australia

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2:45PM April 21, 2011 | Nick Broughall

There’s a marvellous quote at the end of Asher Moses’ piece at the SMH about the inevitable launch of Hulu in Australia, which sums up the online VOD provider’s international expansion fairly well. More »


Software

Why You Can’t Make Your iPhone Look Like A PADD From Star Trek

10:40AM April 21, 2011 | Charlie Jane Anders

Copyright concerns put a halt to two particularly exciting geeky projects in the past week. Lucasfilm put the kibosh on plans to raise money to build a full-size Star Wars AT-AT walker, and CBS stopped a Star Trek-themed “DiagnosticPADD” app. More »


News

Sony Ericsson Sues Clearwire Over Logo Mix-Up Fear

11:40AM January 18, 2011 | Rosa Golijan

Pop quiz: Which of these logos belongs to Sony Ericsson and which belongs to Clearwire? If you don’t know the answer, then you’ve justified the federal trademark lawsuit Sony Ericsson just filed. More »


News

Microsoft Says ‘App Store’ Trademark Is ‘Generic’

10:00PM January 12, 2011 | Kat Hannaford

I’d have to agree with Microsoft here; I’ve always thought the term “App Store” was like calling your tissues brand “Tissues”. They’ve filed a motion with the US Patent and Trademark Office, aiming to force Apple to give it up. More »


Please Don’t Panic Just Because Facebook Trademarked The Word "Face"

10:24AM November 24, 2010 | Rosa Golijan

Facebook’s been trying to register the word “face” as a trademark for a while, but now the US Patent Office has finally decided to grant the social network’s application. Here are the details of what happened. More »


Apple Could Face Lawsuit Over ‘iPad’ Name

9:38PM October 28, 2010 | Kat Hannaford

A Taiwanese monitor manufacturer is threatening to sue Apple for $US1.5 billion for the “iPad” name, claiming they registered “I-Pad” in 2000 for a tablet which failed to launch. Fujitsu tried (and failed), but Proview wants a stab too. More »