IGB, a Brazilian consumer electronics maker, has announced that it will begin selling a line of Android smartphones under the brand 'IPHONE', reports Reuters.
The company reportedly has exclusive rights to the name in the local market.
The first model will be called "Neo One," IGB said in a securities filing. The company was formed this year after the restructuring of Gradiente Eletronica SA, which had applied for exclusive rights in Brazil to register its products under the name IPHONE in 2000. The filing said Gradiente had foreseen the revolution in the convergence of voice and data over the Internet at the time, before Apple Inc's iPhone existed. In 2008, the company secured rights to the name from a local regulator of patents.
It will be interesting to see how Apple responds to the news.
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Comments (15)
Comments are closed for this article.
0
Seaman - December 20, 2012 at 8:44am
This looks like a Samsung iPhone
0
Antoniolcrd - December 19, 2012 at 11:42am
I'm Brazilian. This company used to be the mobile top seller early in the 2000 selling the Nokia 8260 O
0
Ben - December 19, 2012 at 6:50am
What an ugly looking phone...
0
Furuqan - December 19, 2012 at 6:26am
Why the hell all r competing with apple in their efforts? Aahaaa simply apple is the best. U can write the name "IPHONE" on your android phones but u can't get the quality. Sorry 4 that #Maldives
0
- December 19, 2012 at 3:46am
Maybe they just want to troll apple?
0
jenya - December 19, 2012 at 2:01am
Why not. Looking forward
0
Lumia1000 - December 18, 2012 at 9:45pm
Zooo
0
meth - December 18, 2012 at 9:04pm
they have the rights to the term iphone in brazil, so no issue here.
0
Mike - December 19, 2012 at 1:33am
Why would a company bother to do this? For the cool factor. They may have a lot of disappointed customers return their phone when people realize it is not an iPhone. Also, how are they going to be able to create a brand, with value, that belongs to them? They may have some legal rights in Brazil but they will still have problems when they use the name iPhone in the web. IMHO, it's a stupid idea that will generate short time publicity and long term nothing.
1
Copperhead - December 18, 2012 at 8:41pm
Ooh boy, Apple's litigation department must be up in arms right now, frantically setting court dates. I can hear hi pitched voices of complaining. The news stations are so happy, sporting huge smile because they now have some news to report. And Google is sipping on wine playing with Jellybean and giggling at the entire commotion, calling their friends to give them laughs. While the Japanese are scratching their heads in confusion.
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