Cisco Extends Negotiations on iPhone 74
An anonymous reader writes "Apple and Cisco have just a short while longer to discuss the use of the iPhone name for Apple's new product. Cisco has extended the deadline for a resolution out to February 21st. The two companies are seeking a peaceful resolution to their problems, and the deadline was extended to 'reach an agreement on trademark rights and interoperability.' Early this month, Cisco put their lawsuit on hold to start these negotiations - it's easy to understand why they wouldn't want to scrap a whole month's worth of discussion over a few final details."
Why can't Cisco just sell it? (Score:3, Insightful)
1. Cisco got the trademark, legal and straight.
2. Apple wanted it.
3. Cisco wouldn't give it up.
4. Apple used it anyway.
5. Cisco sues.
Why can't Cisco just sell it? Is it just a case of general greed?
Re:Why can't Cisco just sell it? (Score:1, Insightful)
Therefore they aren't about to shell about a bunch of money to cisco and do exactly what cisco wants.
There may be another reason (Score:3, Insightful)
Thoughts on Apple & Cisco (Score:5, Insightful)
Coupla thoughts:
It's not clear that Cisco "owns" the name "iPhone" in this case.
Cisco's goal appears to be assuring their interoperability with this, and later, versions of Apple's iPhone line.
The trademark issue is unlikely to have any immediate effect on Apple's "iPhone" marketing or consumers, it's all IMHO a tempest-in-a-teapot.
Frankly this whole discussion seems a product of the extreme interest in Apple's iPhone and no new real news to report on it, so instead everyone natters on about a trademark issue as if it has any substantive effect.
What interests me far more is what Apple has done then what it is named.
Apple has changed the relationship between phone makers and carriers. They got Cingular, now AT&T, to change their backend specifically to accomodate the iPhone's front-end features. That's big. That cracks open the door to carriers finally starting to get smart about expanding services in partnership with handset makers instead of simply dictating what of the standard feature sets they will & will not support.
Apple seems poised to deliver a mass market portable web browser. No, they're not the first, but to a large extant this is the first one most consumers will be aware of. Finally a decent browser, not the ugly-stepsister WAP stuff, with a good sized screen and able to connect to both the 'net & local networks.
And yeah, it's a wide-screen(ish, it's a bit of an odd ratio) iPod video player. A larger, very high quality, screen, abandonment of the defining circular touchpad, a refreshed interface and video now becoming a peer to audio instead of being an afterthought.
Indeed, what is most suprising to me is that Apple even chose
Re:Cisco doesn't want money... (Score:4, Insightful)
Cisco is a corporation. For anyone to make such a statement about a corporation is patently ridiculous.
Re:Why can't Cisco just sell it? (Score:5, Insightful)
Cisco created that product AFTER Apple announced their iPhone. Cisco allowed their trademark to LAPSE then quickly pulled it back while it was in limbo before being completely abandoned. Cisco incorrectly claimed to have an iPhone product when they renewed the trademark. After word of Apple's iPhone started floating around, Cisco quickly rebranded an existing product to use the iPhone name hoping to hold on to it.
In short, Cisco acted with bad faith, and continues to do so.
I don't particularly like either company, but I think Cisco is the dishonest party in this case.
Am I the only one (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe apple, or both apple and cisco have some incentive to put off settlement for awhile?