Apple - Cisco: whose 'iPhone' is it?

Even if Cisco wins the lawsuit against Apple for infringing iPhone trademark, it has already lost. In the minds of the dear consumer, iPhone was, is, and will continue to be perceieved as Apple's brand and not of Cisco. Technically, if Cisco wins this lawsuit, it will own the trademark on paper, but thats about it.



Test for consumer perception: Which of the above phone is iPhone? Obviously, the one on the left. But in reality the one on the right is Cisco's iPhone, whereas the one on the left, per Cisco, shouldn't even be called iPhone.

On part of Apple, I think it was a bold and smart move, to consciously go ahead with iPhone announcement during MacWorld Expo, knowing very well that they are violating trademark ownership. On technical grounds, they may lose the lawsuit against Cisco, but they got what they wanted and that is people connecting to the cell phone from Apple with the name iPhone. Now, even if Apple loses this battle and has to call its iPhone some xyzPhone, consumers are still going to refer it as iPhone. In fact, I am sure there are lots of people out there who probably didn't even knew that there is a product from Cisco named iPhone until the big noise of this lawsuit.

A better move from Cisco would have been to give away (or share or form some kind of partnership) iPhone trademark to Apple, get good publicity out of it, and use that publicity to bring a wider exposure to their own iPhone. Consumers would have called Cisco a sport which would have helped them build a soft corner in consumers mind.