Apple Loses Trademark Claim Against iFone in Mexico

[wraggster]

Apple is having trouble in Mexico right before the holiday season. The company has lost rights to the name iPhone in the country (http://www.muktware.com/4738/lawsuit-happy-apple-may-not-be-able-sell-iphone-mexico#.UJOh0BJvelI), as it was already owned by a Mexican telecom company called iFone (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eluniversal.com.mx%2Ffinanzas%2 F98620.html)(Google translation of Spanish original (http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/finanzas/98620.html)). iFone registered its trademark in 2003, four years before Apple iPhone was launched. In 2009, Apple filed a complaint with the Mexican Industrial Property Institute demanding that iFone stop using is name because it could confuse users. That claim was since denied, and iFone is looking to turn the tables (http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/11/01/apple-loses-iphone-case-in-mexico/).

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/11/02/1311240/apple-loses-trademark-claim-against-ifone-in-mexico