iPad Trademark Claimed by Fujitsu, Lawyers Being Consulted

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Although we could go on and on about what the Apple tablet misses (with photographers complaining about an no integrated card reader or USB, for example) here’s something different that caught our attention — who owns the iPad trademark? For those wondering why in the world we’d ask anything like this knowing just how thorough those chaps in Apple’s legal department are here’s why; today, Fujitsu PR head Masahiro Yamane came forward saying “the name is ours”.

Fujitsu, it must be said, did indeed file for the term iPad as a trademark in 2003, namely for a multifunctional handheld, dubbed the Fujitsu iPad — specifically a device with a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, an Intel processor, Microsoft’s CE.NET OS, Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity along with VoIP telephony, specially built for use by shop assistants — but, and here’s the key point, Fujitsu lost their hold of the trademark in early 2009 when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office listed the company’s application as abandoned and it seems that they then applied a few months later, in June, but by that time Apple already filed their own request and contested Fujitsu’s new application.

“It’s our understanding that the name is ours,” said Masahiro Yamane, PR director for Fujitsu, who also mentioned the fact that the company is now consulting with lawyers to see what can be done about the whole deal.

For those who don’t know and worry, Apple had the same issues with Cisco Systems regarding the iPhone name, but that was settled when the two companies agreed to share the name.