Apple faces trademark infringement lawsuit over the use of iBooks

Apple is facing yet another trademark infringement lawsuit. This time the company must defend its use of the term iBooks. Apple is being sued by New York publisher John T. Colby who bought Byron Preiss Visual Productions and Ibooks, Inc during a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy proceeding back in 2006. These assets became available when founder Byron Preiss died unexpectedly in a car crash.

Ibooks, Inc began selling books in September 1999 and sold over a thousand books under the Ibooks name. Colby claims Apple's use of the term will render his company's use of Ibooks and Ipicturebooks brand virtually worthless. He also points out that, though Apple owns the trademark for ibook and sold iBook computers, the Cupertino company never used the term in book sales until the iPad debuted in early 2010.