Apple filed for an 'iPad Mini' trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week.
The device maker referred to the recently-released tablet in the application as a fully-fledged device, which offers a slew of features ranging from calendaring to web connectivity.
Apple said the iPad Mini is a "handheld mobile digital electronic device comprising a tablet computer, electronic book and periodical reader, digital audio and video player, camera, electronic personal organizer, personal digital assistant, electronic calendar, and mapping and global positioning system (GPS) device, and capable of providing access to the Internet and sending, receiving, and storing messages and other data."
With the U.S. filing now complete, Apple filed for trademark protection on the iPad Mini brand earlier this month within Europe and Canada.
During its first three days of availability, the iPad Mini alongside the iPad 4 and 2 cumulatively sold three million units.
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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von32 halcyonNot sure why this is news anyone anywhere would really care about.Reply
They're foreshadowing how apple is going to sue everyone that has "mini" in a product name. -
JOSHSKORN the iPad is already too small for me, yet another reason why I wouldn't have bought it. The iPad Mini, though? Pffft. OK, they can have this patent. IDC. The rest of the patents for the most part are kinda just stupid.Reply -
AndrewMD First thing is, this is not a patent, it is a Trademark. Every single company files theses on a daily basis to cover their investments...Reply -
sonofliberty08 von32They're foreshadowing how apple is going to sue everyone that has "mini" in a product name.wonder did mr.bean patent his mini austin......Reply
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kensingtron Trademark example:Reply
It is ok to call you product iPad mini as long as it doesn't fulfill any said "functions". If one made a compact personal hygiene product and named it iPad mini that would be an acceptable use of the name as it is not in direct competition and it won't confuse customers. -
Kami3k KensingtronTrademark example:It is ok to call you product iPad mini as long as it doesn't fulfill any said "functions". If one made a compact personal hygiene product and named it iPad mini that would be an acceptable use of the name as it is not in direct competition and it won't confuse customers.Reply
Apple doesn't really care... They do sue market chains around the world just for having a Apple symbol, even though it doesn't look anything like Apple's. -
fuzzion halcyonNot sure why this is news anyone anywhere would really care about.Reply
Here is a tip, if you see an article written by Zak Islam, close the tab.