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Topic: Apple

iCloud sues Apple over name

Summary: An Arizona company has sued Apple over its use of the iCloud name, claiming the tech giant's use of it infringes on its trademark.

Steven Musil

By Steven Musil |

iCloud Communications, a Phoenix-based voice over IP provider, alleges that the name of Apple's recently announced online storage service copies its name and causes confusion over competing products:

The goods and services with which Apple intends to use the "iCloud" mark are identical to or closely related to the goods and services that have been offered by iCloud Communications under the iCloud Marks since its formation in 2005. However, due to the worldwide media coverage given to and generated by Apple's announcement of its "iCloud" services and the ensuing saturation advertising campaign pursued by Apple, the media and the general public have quickly come to associate the mark "iCloud" with Apple, rather than iCloud Communications. iCloud Communications claims "Apple has a long and well-known history of knowingly and willfully treading on the trademark rights of others," noting that the Cupertino, Calif., company has been sued by The Beatles over use of the Apple name, by Cisco Systems over use of the iPhone name, and by Terrytown over use of "Might Mouse." The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court of Arizona, seeks an injunction against Apple's use of the iCloud name, as well as an unspecified amount of monetary compensation.

For more on this story, read Apple sued over use of iCloud name on CNET News.

Topics: Apple, Cloud, Hardware, Storage

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122 comments
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  • Won the lotto

    This is the part where Apple hands iCloud a 6- or 7-figure bag of money, and iCloud changes its name.
    Robert Hahn
    Reply Vote

    • only if they can outlast Job$ lawyers

      @Robert Hahn
      apple still thinks that they have invented the cloud.
      Linux Geek
      Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @Linux Geek Linux Geeks think the mere announcement of a product by Apple means Apple thinks it invented everything associated with that product.
        His_Shadow
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @His_Shadow apple does think that.. at the very least they THINK they have invented a better version of it, which usually turns out not to be true, at least in my experience..
        nickdangerthirdi@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @Linux Geek They are just funny the way they always are late to the game, and then claim to invent something. I actually don't think Apple has EVER invented ANYTHING. Although they CLAIM to have invented EVERYTHING.
        Jimster480
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @Jimster480

        A quick search of the USPTO shows over 2,000 patents assigned to Apple Computer, so I guess they have invented a few things.

        Interestingly, I don't hear them claim that a lot. Perhaps you need your hearing tested.
        msalzberg
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @Linux Geek

        What DID happen to SCO? Are they still around?
        barry@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @Linux Geek What is really amusing is that Apple does not claim to have invented close to what you and other ABAers claim they have... once again another fail by Linux Geek.
        athynz
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @msalzberg

        Just because you file for a patent doesn't mean you actually deserve the rights to it. Patent clerks are rarely SMEs and they rarely do sufficient research before issuing patents. It's the same way i4i got the patent on custom XML in documents. It's akin to patenting the act of putting pen to paper, but it still went through.
        Ternarybit
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @Linux Geek . Thanks. Why on earth can't Apple develop their own technology and brand name instead of stealing people's belonging. They must be out of their mind.
        jzealmedia
        Reply Vote

    • No, more like where a VoIP provider has to demonstrate

      that wireless push is in a competing space with voice communication.
      fr_gough
      Reply Vote

    • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

      @Robert Hahn
      . . . or more typically, Apple simply buys the company and incorporates it's finer features or just closes it down. Don't ask me how I know.
      ExEC135CrewDog
      Reply Vote

    • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

      @Robert Hahn - my first thought also!!!

      my second thought - Apple's going to buy them - still for 6-7 figures!
      J Michael Ireland
      Reply Vote

    • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

      @Robert Hahn And I would take it! Maybe I'd get some shares as well, depending on agreement skills.
      8Limes
      Reply Vote

    • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

      @Robert Hahn

      I-anything is getting old. Are the people in Cupertino capable of generating their own ideas? I doubt it!
      Rob.sharp
      Reply Vote

      • You stumbled on my point

        @rob.sharp@... So this company just happened to use the name "iCloud" ...? And precisely why did they choose this name? And yet they didn't get the iCloud.com domain to market it under? Might they have picked it because Apple had done such a terrific job building the "iWhatever" brands that they thought they could ride Apple's coat tails? (And I'll give then credit that they actually had a real service to offer.) Maybe they were smart enough to foresee that one day Apple might even want that name and come calling for it .... Maybe they were just clueless, but given how Apple has built the "iWhatever" empire, you kinda have to wonder about anyone's intentions if they use "iSomething" as a product or service name.
        jscott69
        Reply Vote

      • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

        @rob.sharp@...
        Be careful there, buddy. Apple owns the name iDoubtIt.
        WozNotWoz
        Reply Vote

    • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

      @Robert Hahn
      You are oh so right. In south Jersey, we had a restaurant by the name of Chi Chi's back in the 60s, through the time that the chain Chi Chi tried to sue the owner. She proved that she had the name for ten or more years before they did, and they paid her over a million for the name.
      barry@...
      Reply Vote

      • And where is ChiChi's now?

        @barry@... She could probably reclaim the name pretty safely; the other ChiChi's is no longer a restaurant.
        Vulpinemac
        Reply Vote

    • RE: iCloud sues Apple over name

      @Robert Hahn Apple owns the iCloud trademark. They purchased it from another company a year or so ago, so I don't know how this will play out.
      rdawson@...
      Reply Vote
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