Apple files \'spod\' claim

Apple is reportedly moving aggressively to protect its 'pod' trademarks. According to a claims to be the next-generation of mobile radio, enabling users to subscribe to podcasts on smartphones without the need to connect to a PC--and thus bypassing Apple's iTunes. The report says that Apple has filed a trademark infringement claim in a Hamburg-based civil court: "As a result the court decided to forbid Stuttgart-based Liquid Air Lab, the company behind Spodradio, to use the name Spod until the case comes to court. The firm is not using Spod at the moment but had filed a trademark claim along with 'spodradio' last fall, according to Liquid Air Lab's founder Mikko Linnamaeki.

"The German firm is being allowed to continue to use the name Spodradio until the case is heard in court. Founder Mikko Linnamaeki says he will defend his firm's right to the name and will go to court if he has to." Trademark owner Linnamaeki says he is unsure of the claim's validity, as his company does not compete in the hardware or music industries and his firm would defend itself fully against any trademark claims.

by MacNN Staff