The Patent Office rejected Apple 's trademark application as the name of the iPad Mini is "just a description"

By@ Nicky Colman

As soon as Apple releasesUS Patent and Trademark OfficeThe iPad Mini (iPad mini) trademark application filed to the USPTO was rejected as "a description of mere feature and not unique meaning".

USPTO Denies Apple's iPad Mini Trademark Application, Deemed "Merely Descriptive"
http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/30/us-patent-and-trademark-office-denies-apples-ipad-mini-trademark-application-deemed-merely-descriptive/


BBC News - Apple denied iPad Mini US trademark
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21987831


Apple has done a number of patent disputes and won a lawsuit with Samsung last year, the US District Court for the California state in the United States acknowledged Samsung's infringement of patent infringement, about $ 1.05 billion (about 100 billion Yen) to order damages for payment of damages, but this month we decided to review the decision. This lawsuit has become the largest among patents in international companies, but now,Lawsuits by smartphone companiesHas become complicated, and Apple has also talked about the design of portable display devicesGet a patentdoing.

ByThe tartanpodcast

According to what USPTO told Apple in January "All the trademarks applied are simply those describing the features and characteristics of the product" such as "mini", "pad", prefix "i-" It is said that there is. For example "mini" is a feature of size, it seems that the point that points to a small computer of hundreds of sizes is the reason why the trademark was rejected. According to lawyers, their names are considered "products are not equipped with unique trademarks or non-descriptive trademarks", and if Apple could persuade that "mini" is not just a description now, It is said that USPTO will also recognize the trademark.

The following is a document published by the USPTO. The application seems to be done with all uppercase "IPAD MINI".

USPTO TSDR Case Viewer
http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn85780375&docId=OOA20130124134843#docIndex=0&page=1


Apple has sold 229 million units together with iPad and iPad Mini in the fourth quarter of 2012 and persuades the USPTO to see how mini-size tablets differ from regular versions by the end of July It is an intention to do.