Apple asks Cisco politely for more time

Although legal opinion seems to be that Cisco does not have a claim to the iPhone name Apple is taking the matter most seriously. It asked originally for an extension of time to negotiate until today, Friday, February 16. Now it has asked for a further extension until February 21.

Cisco sued Apple for trademark infringement in January after Apple announced its long-awaited multimedia phone called the iPhone. Cisco claimed the name was for a peice of equipment just about to be released to the market. Its claim, seemed on the face of the evidence, as very iffy. That appears now not to be the case. If Apple has asked, and got, an extension until February 21 it is not to tell Cisco to go and take a running jump at itself.

Cisco said in a statement, ‘Cisco has agreed to give Apple an extension until Wednesday, February 21. Cisco is fully committed to using the extra time to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.’

Cisco got the iPhone trademark in 2000 after acquiring a company called Infogear, which had previously owned the trademark and had sold devices called iPhones for several years.

Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been selling wireless products with the iPhone name since early last year, with new products added to the line in December. But there could hardly have been any confusion.

While Cisco has said it wants to keep Apple from ‘infringing upon and deliberately copying and using’ the trademark, it has also called for ‘interoperability.’ This seems to suggest that it is not just holding Apple up against the wall for a lot of money (it is, of course, doing that) but wants some sort of ongping agreement.

Steve Jobs has not made a statement on the situation. Anyway, it would not be publishable.

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