Two years before Apple launched the first iPad, RXD Media, a cloud storage firm, was using ipad as a part of their offering ipad.mobi. Hence, when Apple launched iPad in 2012, the company filed a case which eventually became known as the iPad Trademark dispute.
Over 7 years after the case was filed, judges have ruled in the favour of Apple and the iPad Trademark Dispute has come to a close. Here’s a closer look at what the dispute was and what the judge said:
iPad Trademark Dispute: Apple Wins Legal Battle
RXD Media complained that the name of Apple’s product is confusing their customers given that they were offering ipad service before Apple’s iPad launched.
Going through the court documents, it appears that neither RXD Media nor Apple had a strong case here. RXD Media’s claims were weak while Apple’s defences weren’t as good either. While Apple claims to have ‘won’ the iPad Trademark Dispute, the court’s ruling was more about letting things be as they were than to provide a judgment in Apple’s favour.
What the Court said
The judge stated that considering that RXD Media had not established ipad as a distinct name and it was just descriptive of their services, they cannot enforce a trademark here against Apple.
The court also had words about the weak legal argument that both the sides had brought forward.
