MacExcellence

Steve, Change the name of your product. It is not a big deal. Regards, Fujitsu

Tue, January 26, 2010

Apple is moving forward with the likely–trademark–infringing, and highly questionable, “iPad” moniker for its much ballyhooed tablet product, scheduled to be revealed this week.

Fujitsu, however, seems to own the trademark. In a case reminiscent of the iPhone/Cisco trademark dispute, it seems like déjà vu all over again.

• Fujitsu files a trademark application, for the “iPad.”
• Apple, on the first day that it is able to (that’s important), files an objection to the trademark application.
• Fujitsu sticks its tongue out at Apple.
• Apple says things about Fujitsu.
• Lawyers.

Well, after that last item iThink you know where this goes.

So many have likened the “iPad” name to sounding a bit, er, feminine, that iCan’t any longer conceive of Apple sticking with that name. It’s also a bit obvious. Apple’s never been one to go the obvious route either. So what’s with the trademark objection paperwork?

iThink it’s simple: trademarks need to be defended. iPad is one vowel away from iPod. iAnything is a namespace occupied so heavily by Apple that it simply must defend this ground. While there are undoubtedly myriad iWhatever’s roaming the planet happily, they do so only at the approval of the Apple legal team. iPad? They must defend that.

It also serves the purpose of keeping yutz’s who care about this stuff talking on and on and on about it. So, to that end, it’s a classic Apple foil.

The buzz is high for Wednesday’s event. Can’t wait to find out if Apple has yet “one more thing” up its sleeve…