Cisco ♥ Apple

One news story is fittest to print across the industry today, in international outlets announcing in headline English that megacompanies Cisco and Apple “make nice” or “bury the hatchet” or even (giggle) “smoke peace pipe on iPhone.”*

Specifically, the news now playing in some form on at least 564 websites as of this writing, is the following.

“Cisco and Apple today announced that they have resolved their dispute involving the ‘iPhone’ trademark. Under the agreement, both companies are free to use the ‘iPhone’ trademark on their products throughout the world. Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark. In addition, Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications. Other terms of the agreement are confidential.”

And so, it would seem, ends the long saga of the iPhone dispute. The iPhone name has been owned by Cisco since 1996 in the category of “computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerised global information networks.” Cisco subsidiary Linksys is already producing and selling a product called iPhone.

Now that Apple and Cisco have kissed and made up (ah, there’s one metaphor that wasn’t used…), My VoIP News supposes they’ll declare mutual war on VoIP provider Comwave, which holds the iPhone trademark in Canada. After all, the Toronto-based Comwave actually has an “iPhone mobile” already on the Canadian market, and has owned the rights to the name in Canada since at least 2004.

Comwave president/CEO Yuval Barzakay was quoted back in January as saying “there's no reason for [Comwave Canada] to change its plans just because the two big U.S. technology companies happen to want to use iPhone for their products as well.”

One wonders what Barzakay makes of the lawsuit; though he gets into Canadian coverage of the settlement at – where else? – Canada.com, Comwave and its iPhone (Canadian version) is waiting and seeing.

*Warning: Not a recommended use for Cisco or Apple iPhone. Please keep all flammable items away from your iPhone.