Apple seeks trademark on "OS X" without the "Mac"
Seemingly cementing a move first hinted at during the World Wide Developers Conference, Apple has filed for a trademark for its OS X operating system but without the "Mac" prefix that has accompanied the name since its inception.
The Cupertino-based company initially filed for its trademark in Trinidad and Tobago less than a week after the June 2008 conference, where lobby banners first indicated a split where Apple would distinguish between OS X Leopard, the version of its operating system for traditional computers, and OS X iPhone, the modified platform that supports both its namesake cellphone and the iPod touch.
The software label also passed through a southeast Asian trademark office in November, but as of this writing remains under review.
Apple's reasons for trademarking at this stage aren't entirely clear, though the most conspicuous is its current product strategy: as many of its devices are running some variant of the FreeBSD-based software but operating well outside the bounds of ordinary Macs, the company may be under some self-imposed pressure to rebrand its flagship software in a way that allows it to enforce its trademarks without tying itself to a particular software revision or product line.
A formality in trademark would also mirror steps to rebrand the company itself that were first reveled when chief executive Steve Jobs took to the stage to introduce the original iPhone in January 2007. With the Apple TV in the living room and the iPhone in people's pockets, the executive argued that it was time for the company to alter its name and drop the "Computer" badge to become Apple Inc., reflecting its new general technology focus.
An image accompanying the filings.
Still, the potential trademark change represents a formal break from tradition for a company that, in 1999, deliberately kept the "Mac OS" badge for its radically altered operating system to maintain familiarity -- a move the company may no longer feel is necessary today.
The Cupertino-based company initially filed for its trademark in Trinidad and Tobago less than a week after the June 2008 conference, where lobby banners first indicated a split where Apple would distinguish between OS X Leopard, the version of its operating system for traditional computers, and OS X iPhone, the modified platform that supports both its namesake cellphone and the iPod touch.
The software label also passed through a southeast Asian trademark office in November, but as of this writing remains under review.
Apple's reasons for trademarking at this stage aren't entirely clear, though the most conspicuous is its current product strategy: as many of its devices are running some variant of the FreeBSD-based software but operating well outside the bounds of ordinary Macs, the company may be under some self-imposed pressure to rebrand its flagship software in a way that allows it to enforce its trademarks without tying itself to a particular software revision or product line.
A formality in trademark would also mirror steps to rebrand the company itself that were first reveled when chief executive Steve Jobs took to the stage to introduce the original iPhone in January 2007. With the Apple TV in the living room and the iPhone in people's pockets, the executive argued that it was time for the company to alter its name and drop the "Computer" badge to become Apple Inc., reflecting its new general technology focus.
An image accompanying the filings.
Still, the potential trademark change represents a formal break from tradition for a company that, in 1999, deliberately kept the "Mac OS" badge for its radically altered operating system to maintain familiarity -- a move the company may no longer feel is necessary today.
Comments
Adi
Could this mean OS X is coming to other Computer makers out there ? Cause that would be awesome..
Adi
Not trying to start a debate, but simply put, that would completely tarnish the Apple brand. It would be devastating to the company. Apple's been down that road in the past and nearly died.
Could this mean OS X is coming to other Computer makers out there ? Cause that would be awesome..
No way, Apple did it before and it make matters worse.
Not trying to start a debate, but simply put, that would completely tarnish the Apple brand. It would be devastating to the company. Apple's been down that road in the past and nearly died.
With every twist and turn that Apple makes, no matter how it affects its users:
"There is no way they'd do that! Oh, they just did."
What's in a name anyway? I couldn't care if the OS is called OS Poop, it's what it does, how reliable it is, and how slick the hard is is all care about.
same here, call it whatever u like, just make sure it works damn good
__________
What's in a name anyway? I couldn't care if the OS is called OS Poop, it's what it does, how reliable it is, and how slick the hard is is all care about.
If they rebrand it OS Poop, I may just be out the door. Or maybe I'll just have to use the hacked version available online after the Dev Team finds a way to turn references of "Poop" into something better like "Goop" or "Floop" or "Zoop"... that sounds kinda cool.
Apple should do this even if they are never considering an OS X OEM.
-Mark
With the Apple TV in the living room and the iPhone in people's pockets, the executive argued that it was time for the company to alter its name and drop the "Computer" badge to become Apple Inc., reflecting its new general technology focus.
Or a new focus on a heathy diet.
If I am the only one who found that funny, my apologies, moving on.
For example, System X.5.6.
Just kidding.
I don't think this opens up the door for selling OEM copies of OSX for Hackintoshes, but it certainly means that any device from Apple running a flavor of OSX can now be united into one lawsuit should people reverse engineer things i.e. developing alternative OSes/firmware for iPods, Apple TVs, Airport base stations, etc.
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-Clive
OS X should have been a separate name from the Mac from the start. It's a completely different OS.
Actually no it isn't. OS 9 was completely different from OS X, but OS X and MacOSX (however you want to actually write it) IS the same.
I get why they want to change things up, highlight they aren't just about computers. but I don't think they can pull off this change at least here in the US. OS X is too vague. It's like Kleenex trying to trademark 'tissue'. there are too many types of tissue. 'facial tissue' perhaps would work.
any company out there that makes a computer software for core functionality has used the phrase 'operating system' for years. To try now to trademark that isn't going to work. You can't trademark a popular phrase used by several parties this late in the game. and any operating system could have ten versions and the roman numeral X is a common shortcut. we already have an OS/X as I recall.
I just don't see it working and Apple will be stuck with MacOS and iPhoneOS for the coming years.
Could this mean OS X is coming to other Computer makers out there ? Cause that would be awesome..
Adi
not at all. Until the courts demand that they can't tie hardware and software because their market share in the personal computer market has grown so big that now it's a monopoly violation, Apple will NOT stop tying. They tried it once and it was a bigger failure than kicking out Steve Jobs.
All it might indicate is that they are considering calling an upcoming line of computers something other than Mac/Macintosh and that's a slim conclusion at best.
This is clearly because they have begun to use the OS in their non-macintosh products, such as their iPhones and their iPods, and possibly in Apple TV
so they trademark iPhoneOS, iPodOS. should be pretty easy since I"m sure they trademarked the terms iPhone and iPod already.
and it makes since. the iPhoneOS is not the same as the MacOS even if based on the same core. because they are two different devices. Even my granny who still uses an 8 track understands that idea.
if anything, the only reason they are doing this is because folks in the general public are saying "OS X" (although half of them wrongly as OS X and not OS Ten) and they are trying to avoid a 'kleenex' sitch. But Kleenex was specific, OS X is not.
... I get why they want to change things up, highlight they aren't just about computers. but I don't think they can pull off this change at least here in the US. OS X is too vague. It's like Kleenex trying to trademark 'tissue'. there are too many types of tissue. 'facial tissue' perhaps would work.
any company out there that makes a computer software for core functionality has used the phrase 'operating system' for years. To try now to trademark that isn't going to work. You can't trademark a popular phrase used by several parties this late in the game. and any operating system could have ten versions and the roman numeral X is a common shortcut. we already have an OS/X as I recall.
I just don't see it working and Apple will be stuck with MacOS and iPhoneOS for the coming years. ...
I think you are wrong on this part. Trademark protection doesn't impinge on the meaning of the mark AFAIK. It's the registration of a symbol. Something can be a trademark that has no writing on it at all for instance.
I'm pretty sure that you are confabulating copyright and trademark law here and whether the OS in "OS-X" means "operating system" is immaterial. If it's been around long enough, and is the dominant use, I think it might pass.
Why is Apple filing patent applications in small Caribbean countries?