iPhone loses brand battle to iFone

Apple Inc. has lost an injunction bid that would have allowed it to stop a rival firm from selling its iFone brand of devices. 

A court in Mexico handed down the verdict  this Thursday, denying Apple’s injunction request to ban the sale of iFone devices in Mexico. 

According to the Mexican news source El Universal , the iFone trade name was registered in Mexico by a small call centre company in 2003, some four years before Apple did so. Nonetheless, Apple sought unsuccessfully to gain sole control over the brand in the year after the iPhone first launched in Mexico. 

The Mexican court cited the earlier trade name registration in refusing Apple’s request, and the Mexican firm later countersued for damages, which could amount to 40 per cent of iPhone sales revenue in Mexico. iFone’s countersuit is also seeking to block Apple from selling the iPhone under its current name in Mexico. 

“It’s the third time Apple has lost,” said Eduardo Gallastegui, an attorney for the Mexican firm, adding that “iFone is fully entitled to the use of its brand name.”