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  • USPTO Awards Apple Trademark for "Lion"
    by
    Phillip Swanson
    Published on 11-01-2012 12:58 PM
    23 Comments Comments


    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple a trademark for "Lion."

    The approved trademark gives Apple exclusive rights to using "Lion" spelled with a capital L followed by lowercase letters when referring to the company's "computer operating system and application development tool software." Apple originally applied for the trademark back in April of 2011.

    Apple's trademark dreams extend to OS X Mountain Lion as well. Apple has applied for both "OS X Mountain Lion" and "Mountain Lion," neither of which the USPTO has approved. While the trademarks themselves are rather inconsequential (considering no one is going to release a new OS called Lion) Apple has showed in the past an penchent for defending their intellectual property. Cupertino sued Amazon last year for damages claiming they illegally used the term App Store.

    However, Apple's most infamous name-related suit is their recently settled battle between Apple Corps, the Beatles' holding company and owner of the band's record label.

    Thankfully the trademark only applies to operating systems an software. That'd make for some interesting discovery channel narration changes.

    Source: CNET
    This article was originally published in forum thread: USPTO Awards Apple Trademark for "Lion" started by Phillip Swanson View original post
    Categories:
    1. iPhone,
    2. iPad,
    3. iOS,
    4. Apple,
    5. Mac,
    6. iPad
    Comments 23 Comments
    1. rashad1's Avatar
      rashad1 - 11-01-2012, 01:20 PM
      Lions, tigers, bears, oh lawsuit!!!
    1. dsg's Avatar
      dsg - 11-01-2012, 01:22 PM
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    1. spazturtle's Avatar
      spazturtle - 11-01-2012, 01:45 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by dsg View Post
      Amazing, why don't they just give them all the words in the feckin dictionary as well
      Lion however it's spelled, is not Appl£'s intellectual property as it is used in all English speaking countries as a name for a large African predator
      I believe Apple received the trademark for dictionary a few years ago.
    1. dsg's Avatar
      dsg - 11-01-2012, 02:00 PM
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    1. trek-life's Avatar
      trek-life - 11-01-2012, 02:00 PM
      By show of hands, how many of you are actually mad about this?
    1. dsg's Avatar
      dsg - 11-01-2012, 02:01 PM
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    1. feidhlim1986's Avatar
      feidhlim1986 - 11-01-2012, 02:07 PM
      Meh, this is no different to Microsofts trademark of the word "Windows" when referring to an operating system. This is one the USPTO more sane awards.
    1. GTRagnarok's Avatar
      GTRagnarok - 11-01-2012, 02:15 PM
      What's the big deal? An operating system is a very unique thing. Copyrighting the name of one, even if it's a common word, is perfectly reasonable.
    1. dsg's Avatar
      dsg - 11-01-2012, 02:23 PM
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    1. pakitos's Avatar
      pakitos - 11-01-2012, 02:28 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by dsg View Post
      Amazing, why don't they just give them all the words in the feckin dictionary as well



      Lion however it's spelled, is not Appl£'s intellectual property as it is used in all English speaking countries as a name for a large African predator long, before Appl£ or Steve J, Steve W and Ronald W even existed

      it's time USPTO stopped and had a serious look at some of the patents and trademarks they give out and then reconsider giving them

      "Lion" spelled with a capital L followed by lowercase letters when referring to the company's "computer operating system and application development tool software."

      You missed this very important fragment.
    1. Loko914's Avatar
      Loko914 - 11-01-2012, 02:31 PM
      The real lions are about to get sued if they dont change their names
    1. GTRagnarok's Avatar
      GTRagnarok - 11-01-2012, 02:32 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by dsg View Post
      nah, why should common words be given trademark status to any one company
      So you would be okay if another company called themselves Apple and started making smartphones and tablets? Better yet, what if they started making an OS called Windows?
    1. xLastWishx's Avatar
      xLastWishx - 11-01-2012, 02:51 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by pakitos View Post
      "Lion" spelled with a capital L followed by lowercase letters when referring to the company's "computer operating system and application development tool software."

      You missed this very important fragment.
      Some people just read the title and already assume the worst. They're called trolls.
    1. fleurya's Avatar
      fleurya - 11-01-2012, 03:15 PM
      Doesn't seem unreasonable when you think of how the NCAA trademarked the common phrase "final four" whenever it's related to basketball. Or P&G tradmarking the word "Puffs" when it applies to tissues.

      Damn, forgot the most easy and relevant one: Windows!
    1. Gaijinboy's Avatar
      Gaijinboy - 11-01-2012, 03:53 PM
      This would only be comparable to Windows if Microsoft went out and copyrighted "3.1", "95", "98", "2000", etc. Now, all of these releases also had nicknames, like "whistler", but aren't typically used in the final product. I suppose suing mountains would prove unfruitful. I wonder if Apple will try to sue animals.
    1. nakamura's Avatar
      nakamura - 11-01-2012, 04:00 PM
      The amount of stupidity in some of the earlier comments is unfathomable...

      They're not given trademark over the word "Lion" itself, ONLY trademark over the word "Lion" used to name an OPERATING SYSTEM.

      So stupid.
    1. dsg's Avatar
      dsg - 11-01-2012, 04:19 PM
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    1. Mrteacup's Avatar
      Mrteacup - 11-01-2012, 04:43 PM
      You guys don't understand what this is. It's not another law suit waiting to happen. It's a trademark it's not ridiculous to give either. Windows for example can't be sued over unless someone is using it as a product name. Windows is just as common a name as Lion. The one time there's been a lawsuit is "AppStore".
    1. fleurya's Avatar
      fleurya - 11-01-2012, 07:20 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by dsg View Post
      Amazing, why don't they just give them all the words in the feckin dictionary as well

      Lion however it's spelled, is not Appl£'s intellectual property as it is used in all English speaking countries as a name for a large African predator long, before Appl£ or Steve J, Steve W and Ronald W even existed

      it's time USPTO stopped and had a serious look at some of the patents and trademarks they give out and then reconsider giving them
      Do me a favor: make a computer operating system, and then try calling it "Windows". Pretty common word. Shouldn't be a problem, right?
    1. dsg's Avatar
      dsg - 11-01-2012, 07:21 PM
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