Brazil's copyright regulator is set to strip Apple of the right to use its iPhone trademark in Latin America's biggest market. Apparently Jobs’ Mob had not registered the name first, and were beaten to the punch by Gradiente Eletronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics maker. It registered the "iphone" in 2000.
The Brazilian Institute of Intellectual Property will officially announce its decision on Feb 13, the source said. Apple almost certainly will challenge the ruling in the Brazilian courts. IGB Eletronica, a company formed after the restructuring of Gradiente, launched an "iphone" last December. The Android mobile sells for $302 and comes both in black and white. Actually an Android based iPhone would be pretty good, pity about the price, but apparently technology is expensive in Brazil.
Stolen brand
While Apple fanboys insist that the company’s technology is the archetype of originality, it seems the company is having trouble convincing the courts in Brazil.
Nick Farrell
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