This probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but British television network ITV has responded to the rumor that Apple plans to
rename the Apple TV as... iTV. Now, Apple's no stranger to using names which are already trademarked -- if you'll recall, Fujitsu
used to own iPad and Cisco
owned iPhone before Apple took care of all of that with its gigantic piles of money. Well, someone at ITV is apparently not pleased to hear that iTV is one of the next Apple products, with a report in
The Mirror this morning citing unnamed sources which described its executives as "furious," and hints that litigation is not out of the realm of possibility.
Pocket Lint's contacted an ITV spokesperson for a more official take on the matter, and ITV's
director of Communications, Mike Large, says that ITV has a "strong brand" with a "highly valued IP," that ITV is a household name in the UK, and that it has "vigorously defended" its IP in the past. Of course, assuming Apple does go ahead with the iTV name, it could always choose to call it something else in the UK, and it's also worth noting that ITV has been fighting to gain the US mark for the name since at least 2006, and has so far failed to do so. While ITV seems to have done a pretty good job at dodging any direct questions about lawsuits, it's pretty clear that the network wants to let everyone know from the outset that they're not going to ignore this one.
posted August 13th 2010 11:27AM
So now we get to think of all the fun names they could be using instead. :D
@Templarian Apple TV. Just keep it as is. When they first debuted the device, they called it iTV, then next thing you know, it was Apple TV. The British conglomerate isn't gonna give this thing up easily. They should just stick with the status quo.
@Templarian
...and never the twain shall meet
I had forgotten about ITV and really only remember it from watching re-runs of The Prisoner when I was a kid. Yeah, they've been actively using that mark for quite some time.
I'm figuring Apple is going to go with iTV where it can and just use Apple TV in the UK. Of course if everyone else is calling it iTV, well good luck ITV.
@Templarian
ITV can't be in the same sentence as "strong brand", or "highly valued". It's pretty much the bane of television in the UK, and no company worth anything would make this show:
http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/loosewomen/
@Neotyguy40 Perhaps but isn't Susan Boyle so sexy...........
Aside from that if there are any truth in these rumours it's laughable. The negative press they'd get from an attempt in the UK would put their reputation underground.
@Neotyguy40 ABC make "The View", which is effectively Loose Women. I hate most of what ITV show, their football coverage is a joke, with the exception of X-Factor and BGT I don't watch anything apart from the aforementioned terrible football coverage. But a lot of people watch ITV, they still pick up a fairly high percentage share of the audience (although less than the BBC).
@Templarian
It is a big station here. Channel 3 right after BBC1 and BBC2.
I can't see them giving up. They've had the name for a long time and take it huge amounts of money from advertising.
I can't say I particularly like half the crap they broadcast but it's still huge.
@Neotyguy40
Jersey shore, the real world and a few others are the bane of American TV but you don't hear anyone b****ing about them
@Templarian They should call it "iTeeV"
@N900 The only people who've called it iTV are engadget... Now they claim litigation is possible... Yea f_ing right
@Neotyguy40 You know it's just a remake of The View don't you ?
@Templarian
Dear UK,
You're naming it wrong.
Sincerely,
Steve
-Sent from my iPhone.
@zepfloyd
Dear Steve,
We are revoking your right to use the word Phone.
Regards
U.K.
@Templarian What I wonder is if iTV created its brand before or after Apple came up with its iTunes/iPod products. Does anyone know?
Companies putting a lower case "i" in front of their product names are obviously riding Apple's successful "i" product quasi-brand, so I think a UK company using "iTV" is a little sleazy.
That said, who cares. Just keep calling the thing an Apple TV or iTunes TV or something.
@N900 There's only one solution to this:
FIGHT!!!
@VAGRANT
They have been around for 55 years now - a lot longer than Apple.
@ColinMcGraw ITV has been ITV for about since the 50s... it stands for independent television. Rubbish programs, but hardly sleazy. Perhaps Apple are sleazy for ripping on ITV's brand?
@ColinMcGraw
It is ITV, an abbreviation for Independent Television. There have been TLAs beginning with an "I" long before the currently iFad.
@ColinMcGraw
ITV started broadcasting using that name in 1955 (coincidently the same year Steve Jobs was born), so I think the have first dibs on the name by a long way.
@ColinMcGraw
And you are an i-diot.
Ugh, you know what they're going to name this now, right? Magic TV. Christ.
@Templarian
Engadget has forgotten to add Apple's long IP dispute with Apple Records to the list. If a Boomer like Jobs is ready to go up against the Beatles, I can't see him backing away from a fight with ITV. It's all too hypocritical for words, given Apple's obsession with protecting its own trademarks.
Needs more Jason.
@Flamov Got Jason Derulo
@d0mth0ma5 Well spotted my good man.
Money Talks Bullshit Walks!
@nando2323
What do you even mean by that? Are you saying ITV are bullshitting and Apple will pay their way or the other way around.
@Federaly Exactly what I am saying, money can get you anything pretty much in this world.
@Federaly iTV is BSn and Apple will pay. That's what I was saying.
@nando2323
Nah, ITV have a right to stand up to Apple on this one. ITV is a brand name that they have been building up since 1955, and Apple thinks that can just come along and take it? No sir. Names like iPhone and IPad that Apple bought were names of dead projects and weren't particularly well known, and so Apple managed to snap them up pretty easily, but ITV? Big. Too big for Apple to snag. No BS. Not enough money.
ITV has a Market cap of just under £2 billion...
I say apple just buys the whole company.
Problem solved.
@DriftingDiagonally I didn't say they didn't have the right to stand up to them. All I'm saying is that with enough money anyone can be bought trust me. Plus they really don't have to buy anything anyhow. Just don't release the product in the UK or call it something else in the UK companies do this all the time.
@nando2323
What I'm saying is thy ITV just won't let Apple buy the name. Apple needs to realise that they can't just waltz in and use whatever name that like, and say to hell with the consequences. They need to realise that somethings arn't for sale, such as ITVs IP
@nando2323 "Just don't release the product in the UK "
You're right. Brits hardly buy ANY electrical products seeing as they're one of the most affluent countries. That's why Britain was the biggest importer of iPads prior to worldwide release (according to Ebay)... oh no wait.
@nando2323 ITV is a Worlwide news leader.
@Iest
"ITV has a Market cap of just under £2 billion...
I say apple just buys the whole company.
Problem solved. "
If apple would go that way the market cap would rise. If apple started to buy the stock the price would increase, a lot. To acquire firm they would need over 90% of the stock or the minority stockowner rules would kick in. Id say apple would need at least 3,5 billion to pull that off.
Good on them! Fujitsu settled and Cisco lost but neither one was really campaigning and going all out like ITV does in the UK. I highly doubt Apple will win this one.
@Federaly
Cisco didn't lose. Apple cross-licensed the iphone name from Cisco.
Apple needs to be knocked down a notch
@Ops Agreed.
@Ops
Definition of a hater.
@TomSawyer No, definition of someone pointing out the ridiculousness of this rumour. Maybe you should apply the definition to yourself though....
@fpad77 Lool
@Ops
maybe it'll knock their stock back to a more appropriate value while they're at it
It's an Unknown brand in the US so I don't see it being a big probleml. We all know what money can do so we'll see how this plays out.
Except for the fact that after the US, the UK is Apple's biggest market.
ITV is one of the oldest TV networks in the WORLD, and a British household name. It's like if Apple has tried to name their new device the "NBC".
@Vince730 They aren't just trying to sell it in the US though. It's a major player in the UK, which is quite a large market for Apple. I believe ITV have a world-wide trademark as well.
@TheRealCJ ITV might be a brand which has existed for years, but truth be told I see them as cheaper, tackier television than others such as Channel 4 and BBC.
If Apple were to try and adopt the iTV name here in the UK, I could see that as a bad move, not only for the trademark implications it involves, but also due to the connotations the brand has. Yeah ITV is relatively popular in the UK for shows such as X Factor, but they're not Apples audience. So because of that, Apple's audience may see this iTV device as cheap and linked to ITV the broadcaster.
@Vince730
I agree. This is very similar to the gmail UK saga which forced UK users to use googlemail.com instead of gmail.com ---- but Google used gmail for the rest of the world.
@WDUK So in effect ITV will Sue Apple for daring to attempt tor raise the value of their brand perception ;).