Apple has been in the news lately for its patent disputes with Samsung in Europe and Australia. Its legal battles are enveloping other companies and its a good time to be a patent lawyer. Today Apple was denied a trademark for the term ‘Multi-Touch’ in a bid to own a very popular term used by many companies.
The decision to deny the application by Apple stemmed from a 2007 trademark application when the iPhone was originally launched. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Department at the Trademark Office (USDTO) mentioned the following; “Thus, from the foregoing, we find that “multi-touch” not only identifies the technology, but also describes how a user of the goods operates the device. Based on the evidence discussed above, as well as other evidence in the record, we agree with the examining attorney that MULTI-TOUCH indeed is highly descriptive of a feature of the identified goods. We now consider whether applicant has submitted sufficient evidence to establish acquired distinctiveness of this highly descriptive term.”
The entire legal document from the Trademark Office to Apple can be read HERE.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
