Back in 2000, 7 years before Apple debuted the infamous iPhone, a local Brazilian company called Gradiente Eletronica registered a phone with the same name. As you might expect, Apple has been in courts with the company attempting to claim exclusive rights to use the name internationally. As it turns out, the regulators handling this case ruled in favor of Gradiente Electronica and denied Apple the rights to hold the name exclusively in Brazil. However, the ruling did give Apple exclusivity rights for the iPhone name on items such as clothing, software and various publications.
Apple’s argument in this case was that the exclusivity rights should have been given to them on the grounds that the Brazilian company didn’t release the product they registered the name for until late 2012. Currently the company sells a product under the name, “The iPhone Neo One” which ironically is an Android powered smartphone that costs around $304. Apple can still sell the iPhone in Brazil, but Gradiente could up the ante with a suit against Apple for exclusivity. Apple seems to be losing traction with its battles in the courts which could prove to produce more competition in non-U.S. markets. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments if this decision was or wasn’t a fair one.
Source: BBC