Thursday, January 28, 2010

Fujitsu: 'iPad? That's ours' - Register

Have you ever wondered if what you know about tech is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on tech.
In addition to ignoring support for , multitasking, and a few other niceties in its new , Apple seems to have ignored one other important detail: it doesn't own the name "iPad." Fujitsu says it does.

"It's our understanding that the name is ours," Fujitsu's PR director Masahiro Yamaneby The New York Times on Thursday.

Fujitsu iPad The iPad: sleek, touchscreen-equipped, mobile - and from Fujitsu

Like the Apple iPad, the(PDF) - which has been around since 2002 - is a mobile device with a touchscreen display. Fujisu's model, however, is part of that company'sretail offerings.

Now that we've covered those aspects of tech, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

And Fujitsu isn't the only iPad maker out there. Magtek also manufactures itsencrypted credit-card swiper, Seimens uses the name iPad in conjunction with its engines and motors, and a Canadian company even offers a breast-enhancing iPad bra - and trust us, we scoured the web for an image of that product, but to no avail.

According to the NYT, Magtek's iPad threw a spanner into the trademarking of Fujitsu's iPad, leading to its abandonment of its trademarking effort in early 2007. Fujitsu did, however, resubmit that application in June.

In July, says the NYT, Apple "used a proxy to apply for an international trademark for the iPad," has since submitted multiple requests for additional time to contest Fujitsu's application, and has until the end of next month to decide whether it will formally contest Fujitsu's right to the name "iPad."

No word on whether Canada's Coconut Grove Pads will enter the trademark battle, but since its products are substantially different from Fujitsu's, Magtek's, or Apple's, we believe that any such effort would be a bust.

We do, however, note one aspect of the Fujitsu iPad that might stick in Cupertino's craw. According to the Japanese iPad's spec sheet, it comes "equipped with Microsoft Windows CE .NET operating system." ®

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

No comments:

Post a Comment