Australian tribunal rejects lawsuit

An Australian trademark tribunal has rejected Apple's attempt to prevent some companies from using a lowercase "i" in their names, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. At the center of the case is DOPi, a brand of bags and cases for Apple products sold by the Sydney-based Wholesale Central. Apple complained to IP Australia, the government body behind the tribunal, that people could potentially confuse DOPi products for its own, as the name is a reversed take on "iPod."

IP Australia has dismissed such claims however, noting that there are already a variety of product lines using the "i" prefix in the trademark class Apple is concerned about; given examples include iSkin and iSoft. Apple is said to have failed, moreover, to show that a "person of ordinary intelligence and memory" would automatically assume an "i" product is its handiwork.

Apple is noted to be responsible for at least three Australian trademark conflicts in recent times. The company has for instance targeted Woolworths over an Apple-like logo, and the developer of iRip for the software's former name, iPodRip. Apple is currently preparing to appeal a defeat against Macpro Computers; the case was first brought before the launch of the Mac Pro desktop approximately three and a half years ago, even though Macpro has been operating for 26 years.

by MacNN Staff