USPTO Awards Apple Trademark for "Lion"

[Phillip Swanson]

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

[rashad1]

Lions, tigers, bears, oh lawsuit!!!

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[spazturtle]

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.

[dsg]

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[trek-life]

By show of hands, how many of you are actually mad about this?

[dsg]

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[feidhlim1986]

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.

[GTRagnarok]

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.

[dsg]

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[pakitos]

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.

[Loko914]

The real lions are about to get sued if they dont change their names

[GTRagnarok]

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?

[xLastWishx]

"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.

[fleurya]

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!

[Gaijinboy]

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.

[nakamura]

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.

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[Mrteacup]

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".

[fleurya]

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?