Apple May Have Applied For The Trademark Of The Name ‘iWatch’ In Russia
June 5, 2013
Apple may be attempting to gain the trademark of the “iWatch” name in Russia. According to Izvestia.ru, the company has filed paperwork under the 9th and 14th classes for the International Classification of Goods and Services. However, AppleInsider was unable to verify this through the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property, also known as Rospatent.
Assuming that Izvestia.ru is correct, this would be an interesting move on Apple’s part.
The iWatch, of course, is the name for Cupertino’s long-rumored wearable device that may be announced later this year or next. While Apple has been known to file for trademark names prior to a new product release, they typically do this using a shell company.
For example, Apple began obtaining international rights for the name “iPad” under a corporation named “IP Application Development Limited.”
According to Izvestia.ru, Apple also filed for the iWatch name in Jamaica. That, according to the report, occurred in December.
It should be noted that the iWatch.com domain has seen little activity in recent years. A quick WHOIS search shows that Tucows, Inc., a global Internet services company, first purchased the domain in July 1998. That record expires at the end of July.
In the United States, the iWatch name is owned by San Jose, Calif.-based SmartMonitor.
For more information on the iWatch, see: After WWDC, Apple Likely To Hold Two ‘Special Events’ This Fall And Perhaps A Third, and Is The iWatch Close At Hand? At D11, Apple CEO Tim Cook Says 'The Wrist Is Interesting'.
Photo: Apple iWatch Concept by Esben Oxholm
