Apple and Cisco Systems have reached a temporary ceasefire in the dispute after Cisco gave Apple more time to respond to the lawsuit made last month.
The lawsuit has not stopped but the two companies have agreed to extend talks in the hope that they can reach an agreement on trademark rights and interoperability.
After Apple announced the iPhone in January Cisco were quick to sue Apple for trademark infringement, Cisco already has its own product range using the iPhone name and believes it owns the trademark.
Cisco, although maybe not as well known as Apple, manufactures much of the hardware powering the internet and has owned the iPhone trademark since acquiring Infogear in 2000.
The original iPhone trademark filing dates back to 20 March 1996 but Cisco has only actively used the trademark since 2006. Our recent interview with trademark attorney Eric Ramage discusses the issue in greater detail.
After the iPhone was launched in San Francisco Mark Chandler, senior VP at Cisco, said:
There is no doubt that Apple’s new phone is very exciting, but they should not be using our trademark without our permission.
Apple has responded by saying the lawsuit is silly and that the trademark claims made by Cisco are tenuous at best.
The joint statement released this week says:
Apple and Cisco have agreed to extend the time for Apple to respond to the lawsuit to allow for discussions between the companies with the aim of reaching agreement on trademark rights and interoperability.
