Apple Loses 'iPhone' Trademark in Brazil

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Posted February 13, 2013 at 6:06pm by Shalom Levytam

Apple has lost the rights to use the 'iPhone' trademark in Brazil, reports the BBC.

Brazilian regulators have ruled that Apple does not have exclusive rights to use the "iPhone" trademark in the country. The decision is the result of a local company, Gradiente Eletronica, registering the name in 2000, seven years before the US firm.

Apple declined to comment; however, a Institute of Industrial Property spokesperson said the company was pursuing an appeal.

The decision only applies to handsets so Apple can continue to use the name for clothing, in software and across publications. If Apple continues selling iPhone branded smartphones, Gradiente can sue.

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Apple Loses 'iPhone' Trademark in Brazil

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Comments (15)

Comments are closed for this article.

HO - February 14, 2013 at 7:03am

...LOL

Marcel - February 14, 2013 at 6:42am

THE question is why just now they have come out to say: ow its our trademark that you can't use it?? After so many years! Hopefully apple is gonna find a way to get over the situation.

mak - February 14, 2013 at 6:29am

I just see a nice way for the brasilian company to make shitloads of cash from apple. They can choose to charge apple for each iphone sold or just sell them the rights on a yearly basis.

DavidG - February 14, 2013 at 6:24am

Well, they can sell an apple smartphone running iOS in Brazil, they just can't brand it with the iPhone name or call it that, that's all. It's all about using the name. It was owned before apple introduced its name. Nothing wrong with that. Apple can still sell their smart phone there, they just have to call it something else in Brazil.

angkung - February 14, 2013 at 6:53am

Let's call it iPbone (b for Brasilian)

matrixmaniac - February 14, 2013 at 10:48am

LOL, why not just iBone! hahaha

FiremanSam - February 14, 2013 at 9:20pm

elPhone elPhono elPhonio (tm) Fireman Sam

Adcpolo - February 14, 2013 at 3:55am

I bet their iPhone trademark doesn't have a lower case "i" and upper case "P"

TC - February 13, 2013 at 10:31pm

What's "dirty" about a company telling apple not to use their trademarked property? Apple doesn't own the name iphone in Brazil, they didn't even own it here in the US when the iphone was introduced. They settled with SISCO to use the name.

Watermelon - February 13, 2013 at 9:22pm

Looking forward to see samsung to buy the iphone name from them.. lol

sugar - February 13, 2013 at 8:00pm

I think Apple should stop selling the iPhone in Brazil. From that, the Brazilians will be very upset to know that they can't have a phone because someone else is using it for another device. Looks like they want to much for the settlement apparently.

Dark Side - February 14, 2013 at 2:34am

Here in Brazil we pay for an Iphone 4s 16gb, something around U$1015 when you pay U$549,00. Sometime it's better to import and to risk to pay all the taxes, even so can be cheaper than buy one from a apple store from here. Both unlocked and contract free.

MrTheGuy02 - February 13, 2013 at 7:36pm

Well that was unexpected.. Who would've thought?

Hfdfhj - February 13, 2013 at 7:25pm

I'm very happy for that, but Iclarified deletes my comments when it is against Apple or Steve jobs.

iCrunch - February 13, 2013 at 6:10pm

yawn...............

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