Apple,
which is currently making great efforts to increase iPhone sales in
India, has been faced with a challenge. According to a news report by
The Times Of India, an Indian company called iVoice Enterprises is
battling it out with Apple over the claim to the iPhone brand. The
Indian company has plans to offer affordable smartphones under the
brand-name ‘iFon’ in India.
The
report also pointed out that iVoice has also issued a press statement
by which it has informed Apple, that the company is expanding its IPR
lawsuit, opposing Apple’s pending Trademark applications including one
for the iPhone with Apple’s logo. iVoice has also filled a petition with
the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) to remove Apple’s
trademark on iPhone from the Indian Trademark Registry.
iVoice
Managing Director, VP Balaji says, “Apple’s original opposition to
‘iFon’ trademark caused insurmountable challenges and irrevocable losses
in ramping our business during 2008/2009. Given the rejuvenated Indian
economy, we’re on our way to revamp our business model and one key
metric to regain investor confidence is to secure unencumbered rights to
our ‘iFon’ intellectual property in India.”
He
also added that, “As of February 2015, we’ve challenged all of Apple’s
registered/pending ‘iPhone’ trademarks before IPAB and TMR in India.” As
per the company, the IPAB/TMR is expected to conduct a hearing to
review relevant merits and will accordingly make a ruling in a few
months on the opposition and rectification cases.
As
of now, Apple has not commented on the ongoing iFon dispute. This isn’t
the first time that Apple has encountered opposition. Earlier, Apple
had filed a challenge with Brazil’s INPI trademark and patent office in a
bid to secure the right to sell smartphones with the iPhone name in
Brazil.
Posted by : Gizmeon
No comments:
Post a Comment