Cisco and Apple Settle iPhone Trademark
02.22.07 - 11:19am
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After months of negotiations that finally ended up (almost) with a court battle, Cisco and Apple have settled - out of court.
While no details of financial arrangements have been disclosed, a statement was released that said, “Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark,” meaning that both companies are free to use the iPhone trademark on their individual products.
Currently Cisco has an iPhone which was released in December of 2006 that provides Voice over Internet Protocol, enabling users to make free or very low-cost calls over the Internet using software provided by companies such as Skype.
The Apple iPhone is a bit different combining a traditional cell phone with Blackberry like applications, camera, and MP3 player in one.
There is also talk of the companies “exploring opportunities for interoperability” which could lead to a combination of the phones.
Apple still has another hurdle to clear before the iPhone name is truly theirs. The Canadian company Comwave Telecom Inc. has been selling Web-based phone service under the iPhone name since 2004. They filed documents in January, after Steve Jobs iPhone announcements, which oppose Apples motion to take the name.
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