Apple is cracking down on a number of companies with the word 'pod' in
their name, and while some might argue that it has a right to take
action against people scrunching off its iPod brand, we can't see how a
suing company for launching a product named Podium makes any sense.
Apart from Podium, MyPodder, TightPod and PodShow are some of the names
Cupertino lawyers have trained their crosshairs on. However, in a David
v. Goliath show of defiance, Sector Labs, a small company behind Video
Pod, is taking legal action against Apple.
In a 239-page response to Apple allegations, Sector Labs' lawyers
accuse Apple of trying to put an iPod in everyone's hands and earbuds
in everyones use, and control the use of the English language.
"If we are not careful, in
Apple's quest for dominance, they will soon attempt to take over the
words 'Phone' and 'Tunes' — let us hope they do not attempt a coup over
the exclusive rights to the letter 'i'," warns Sector Labs.
Video
Pod is a video projector designed to work with a DVD player and other
input devices, and Secotr Labs says it has been in development since 2000, before Apple launched its first iPod.
Scott Baumann, president
of Pivotal, maker of Podium iPhone stands says that "taking ownership of the
letters P-O-D, a word that's in the dictionary, certainly seems
far-reaching." "We were certainly surprised by the allegations and will be consulting with our legal counsel regarding this matter."
More
here.