Trademark suit seeks to block Apple from using iPhone brand for its handset.
Trademark suit seeks to block Apple from using iPhone brand for its handset.
Cisco has filed a lawsuit against Apple over use of the name iPhone.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent Apple from calling its newly-announced mobile device the " iPhone".
The networking vendor company accused Apple of "deliberately copying and using Cisco's registered iPhone trademark."
Apple unveiled its device on Tuesday at the Macworld conference in San Francisco. Cisco later that day issued a statement demanding that Apple signed an agreement that over the use of the brand. Terms and conditions of that agreement weren't disclosed.
"Cisco entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco's iPhone name," Mark Chandler, Cisco's senior vice president and general counsel wrote in a blog posting.
Cisco said that it has owned the trademark to the "iPhone" name since 2000, when it acquired Infogear.
The company claims to have been in negotiations with Apple for use of the iPhone for years.
In December, Linksys, which is owned by Cisco, released a line VoIP handsets under the iPhone brand.
The company also said it plans to use the name in the future.
"Today's iPhone is not tomorrow's iPhone. The potential for convergence of the home phone, cell phone, work phone and PC is limitless, which is why it is so important for us to protect our brand," said Chandler.
Chandler emphasized that the suit was strictly about the trademark, and didn't involve any patents issued for components in either the Linksys or Apple iPhones.
"This is not a suit against Apple’s innovation, their modern design, or their cool phone," he said.
Apple's iPhone is slated for release in the US June.
Apple did not return requests for comment.