Apple and Cisco released Joint Statement on iPhone Name Dispute--More Talk

Yesterday morning, Apple and Cisco Systems issued a joint statement regarding their dispute over Apple using the name 'iPhone' for its cell phone due out in June. The statement reads in its entirety,

"Apple and Cisco have agreed to extend the time for Apple to respond to the lawsuit to allow for discussions between the companies with the aim of reaching agreement on trademark rights and interoperability."

Cisco claimed 'iPhone' is its trademark in a lawsuit filed right after Steve Jobs' Macworld keynote address that introduced Apple's 'iPhone,' a cell phone. Cisco's claim is based on its line of voice over Internet Protocol (voIP) handsets with that name which had been trademarked by a company Cisco had purchased years earlier. But Cisco did not enforce its trademark so now there are other iPhones on the market. In addition, Apple's phone is a cell phone, not a voIP handset.

The two companies were in discussion over the rights to use 'iPhone' until Cisco filed the lawsuit which Apple called "silly." We like 'Apple Phone' better than 'iPhone' anyway. [Bill Fox]