An Irish company has stood in the way of Apple as the global technology giant prepares to launch its latest top of the range product – a smartwatch.
Apple is one of the world’s most loved brands and over the last decade has brought us innovations such as the iMac, iPod, iPad and of course the ever popular iPhone.
However, they will not be able to use their famous ‘i’ in the name for their hotly anticipated watch in Europe, because an Irish firm has already registered the trademark iWatch.
Probendi is a software firm based in Athlone, set up by Italian businessman Daniele Di Salvo. It registered a Europe-wide trademark for the term ‘iWatch’ as early as 2008.
Probendi has been developing its own smartwatch for some time and will soon release it under the brand name iWatch. It is designed to be used by professional organisations as a way to transfer data quickly. For example, a police force could use them to transfer mug shots of suspects.
To make matters worse for Apple, Probendi’s iWatch will run on an Android operating system – Apple’s biggest rival in the market.
Apple have previously paid out €50m to a firm in China to protect their iPad brand.
Di Salvo told RTE Radio that he had not had any negotiations with Apple over the name and he intended to push ahead with the plans to release the Probendi iWatch.
Apple may use the name ‘Apple Watch’ instead.
Video of Apple announcing watch to be released in 2015