by The name iPhone is synonymous with Apple the world-over. But in Brazil, another smartphone manufacturer will continue to hold exclusive rights to the name, according to a recent report. Allegedly, Brazil’s National industrial Property Institute (INPI) has rejected Apple’s claims.
Electronics company IGB — with its Gradiente brand of smartphones — actually filed trademark for the name “iPhone” back in 2000, and was granted the mark in 2008. Speaking to Bloomberg, IGB chairman Eugenio Emilio Staub says the company is all ears for discussions with Apple over the issue.
“We’re open to a dialogue for anything, anytime,” said Staub. “We’re not radicals.”
A Brazilian newspaper, Folha de S.Paulo, reported today that INPI has granted exclusive rights of the name iPhone to IGB. While Apple has sold its own iPhone in Brazil for many years, the Gradiente iPhone was just launched back in December.
Apple has not commented on the matter, but it’s a fair bet they’re less than pleased if there’s a place in the world where Cupertino doesn’t own the rights to iPhone. Oh, and did we mention the Gradiente iPhone runs Android?
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Image Source: Gradiente
