Apple Moves Forward with Tablet's Trademark-Infringing "iPad" Name, Reveals Potential Features in Filing [Tablet Tealeaves]

The Jesus Tablet Blog recently uncovered documents deep within the US Patent Offices suggesting that the iPad was the Apple Tablet's name based on their battles against Fujitsu for it. Now they're moving ahead with a U.S. trademark battle.

So, to recap: Fujitsu trademarked iPad, and Apple filed to oppose the trademark back on September 1, 2009, literally, the first day Apple was even able to oppose Fujitsu's iPad name. Ryan noted that Apple's just been trying to kill time up until this point:

Apple lawyers haven't yet filed any specific complaints about Fujitsu's "iPAD" mark yet, they've just asked for time, and then more time, to put together arguments against the name. So it's entirely possible Apple just wants to preserve the option of naming its tablet the "iPad" up until launch, expected to come at a press event Jan. 27.

But it now appears that they're going through with it anyway. Having already filed for the international trademark, they're going for the US trademark as well.

IP Application Development LLC, a company linked to Apple that has filed patents in internationally for the iPad mark, has now filed an application to trademark "iPad" in the United States as well. The application is dated January 16, and appears to have been posted to the US Patent and Trademark Office website today. The application was filed under Filing Basis 1(b) and 44(d). According to the USPTO website, Filing Basis 1(b) refers to the "bona fide intention to use a mark in commerce" and 44(b) refers to the "claim of priority, based on an earlier-filed foreign application under §44(d)." Looks like last week's international filings were a precursor to this filing under 44(d).

Fun! Apple thinks they have the god-given right to iPad. Despite the fact that they couldn't file even though they didn't go after it until now, which is funny, considering they've had the iPod out in stores for, what, seven years? And it sounds a whole hell of a lot like the iPod! Anyway! Even more revealing is this:

The application covers hundreds of goods and services including: computers, books, games, and telecommunications. Interestingly, one service being applied for "enables users to program the scheduling of audio, video, text and other multimedia content, including music, concerts, videos, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events, and entertainment-related programs as they will be aired".

Don't know what that is, but it sounds dangerously awesome and Jesus Tablet-y! Or iPad-y. Or whatever. The point is this machine is called something and that something is probably "iPad" and if you name your kid "iPod" so help you god because they will not stop until his soul is sucked out his ass or his name is changed or he belongs to Steve Jobs. Bottom line.