UK's ITV Warns Apple Off Using its Brand For Apple TV

[engine]

UK's ITV Warns Apple Off Using its Brand For Apple TV [telegraph.co.uk]

ITV has written to Apple to warn the Silicon Valley technology giant off using its three-letter name for its long-awaited, “iTV” smart television.

Apple has dabbled with television sets in the past but has yet to produce a device with the power to shake up the broadcasting market in the same way that the company’s iPod has with music or the iPhone and iPad managed with mobile phones and tablet computers.

However, that is expected to change later this year. Apple has never confirmed plans for an “iTV” but expectations that it is preparing to launch one are gathering pace.

I guess most things with an "i" in front need to make sure they have their trademak in place.

[J_RaD]

istuff... what happend to real product names?

[g1smd]

Apple has already tried to buy the trademark from ITV and failed.

[bhonda]

I do feel sorry for Apple here a little bit. Obviously this is an existing trade name, and they have no right just to use to as their own, but they've got to be a little bit gutted that they can't use it - it would fit so nicely with the rest of their brand names.

Oh well.

[tangor]

Officials have begun confiscating iPad devices from stores in China after a court ruled in December that Apple was guilty of infringing the trademark of Chinese monitor biz Proview.

The hardline action comes even though Apple is still awaiting the result of its appeal against the original December 2011 ruling in favour of Shenzhen-based Proview, which registered the “IPAD” trademark way back in 2001.

[channelregister.co.uk...]

Apple lost the above, but won the one below:

iPood, a camper's hand shovel to bury what it sounds like. Apple apparently so successful that you can't bing the decision! (some years back)

[graeme_p]

Its an intrinsic problem building a brand around a single letter (or even a common word, something Apple also had problems with): there is just too much chance that someone else will own a trademark on it somewhere.

Google had the same problem with Gmail in several countries.

[lexipixel]

A quick search of TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows dozens of TM's for "ITV", "iTV", "Itv", etc.. (including the British Broadcasting trademark).

[tess2.uspto.gov...]

The same is true of iPAD. (I remember when an "IPAD" was an "Internet Protocol Adapter", invented by Phil Becker of eSoft/TBBS in the 90's)... That was long before Steve Jobs little gizmo...

I would bargain to say that a "device" called an iTV can exist and be tradmarked -- and NOT be confusingly similar to a "network" called ITV -- with enough money and lawyers, anything is possible.

[graeme_p]

What if ITV want to launch their own set top box? I suspect ITV's trademark will cover any use the could to do with TV.