Swatch successfully opposes Apple's 'iWatch' trademark in UK

Posted:
in Apple Watch
Siding with Swiss watchmaker Swatch, the UK's Intellectual Property Office has rejected Apple's attempt to trademark the term "iWatch" in the country -- long after the electronics giant decided to go with "Apple Watch" instead.




Swatch was concerned that the "iWatch" name was too similar to its own "iSwatch," BBC News reported. The company filed its opposition in March 2014, months before the Apple Watch was officially revealed.

The IPO case could be what prompted Apple to choose the Watch's final name, given the importance of the UK market and its general unwillingness to use different labels in different regions. "Apple Watch" may also have allowed it to distance itself from earlier branding or control expectations since the product can't do much independent of an iPhone.

On Friday Apple will launch the Apple Watch Series 2. The device is an evolution of the original Watch design, with upgrades like waterproofing, GPS, a brighter display, and a more powerful processor. A version of the first Watch is still around in the form of the Series 1, which simply has a processor upgrade.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    Irrelevant ruling. The Swiss know where they can put it. What the heck have they done in the "i" arena anyway?!

    I like the moniker 'AppleWatch' -- or even just 'Watch' -- better.


    ronnanton zuykovcaliviclauyycpscooter63jbdragonperkedeljony0
  • Reply 2 of 15
    Let them have it. iWatch sounds decade old.
    ronnanton zuykovviclauyycpscooter63jbdragonperkedeljony0
  • Reply 3 of 15
    Ah, those wily Swiss!
    viclauyyc
  • Reply 4 of 15
    Ah, those wily Swiss! When I first read about Swatch, way back when, I thought they were a Casio knockoff, and had no idea they were a Swiss watch company - way too gimmicky/cutesy to be in the vaunted midst of IWC and Rolex, etc.. Anyway, good for Swatch, I hope this non-issue suit cost them big "time" (sorry - couldn't help myself).
    cali[Deleted User]
  • Reply 5 of 15
    levilevi Posts: 344member
    Ok - well maybe Swatch will get a few unwitting souls to  stumble onto thier page. 
  • Reply 6 of 15
    Like they would have EVER used "I" had there never been an iMac. They should be paying Apple for piggybacking their success with "I". 
    edited September 2016 nolamacguycalipscooter63jony0
  • Reply 7 of 15
    In other news, Apple files to register a trademark for "Apple Swatch"...
    ravnorodomcalipscooter63jbdragonjony0
  • Reply 8 of 15
    Now they would kill to have the AppleWatch be confused with an iSwatch.  LOL.
    perkedel
  • Reply 9 of 15
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Pathetic. they trademarked the name for one reason only and we all know what it is.
    fotoformatperkedel
  • Reply 10 of 15
    Who's 'Swatch'?
    brakkenjbdragon
  • Reply 11 of 15
    How long until they change the name to Apple Phone?
  • Reply 12 of 15
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    In other news, Apple files to register a trademark for "Apple Swatch"...
    Or just, "Apple's Watch"...if you say it fast enough...
    pscooter63
  • Reply 13 of 15
    The fact that they bothered to trademark "iSwatch" already says enough about Swatch as a brand.
    perkedel
  • Reply 14 of 15
    Ah, those wily Swiss! When I first read about Swatch, way back when, I thought they were a Casio knockoff, and had no idea they were a Swiss watch company - way too gimmicky/cutesy to be in the vaunted midst of IWC and Rolex, etc.. Anyway, good for Swatch, I hope this non-issue suit cost them big "time" (sorry - couldn't help myself).
    this! I still can't believe Swatch is the brand it is - they just look cheap kids watches imho, much like those "g-shock" casios - I can't believe how much they charge for what looks like something you got free at the bottom of a box of cereal.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    Apple has bee done with the whole i thing for a while. To many other company's are throwing a i onto whatever product they have to try and ride the Apple Wagon and then Apple has issues with trying to get a trademark on their device. Eve in this case, it's not the same name, but that i on both I guess is confusing to idiots and that's enough!! This is why my now have Apple Watch, This is why we now have Apple Music, not iMusic. Maybe Apple should just go ahead and change eveything. Why us iPad, just go Apple Pad. iPhone? Apple Phone.
    badmonk
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