Apple no longer owns the letter “i”

08:17 | Friday March 12, 2010

The ruling came in Australia as Apple attempted to stop Wholesale Central trademarking the DOPi name (“iPod” backwards) for its range of cases and bags for Apple devices.

With products including the iMac, the iPod, iTunes and the iPhone, Apple has used the letter as part of a strategic branding exercise. It has been highly protective of other companies encroaching on this.

In the case, IP Australia stated that a number of non-Apple products for electronic goods are already on the market and using the “i” prefix meaning that Apple cannot own it.

Apple had argued that the use of the letter “i” may lead some consumers to believe they were buying an official Apple product.

To address the split between official Apple products and approved Apple ancillary products, the company introduced the “Made For iPod” kitemarking system in 2005. This allows Apple to take a royalty payment from companies who make approved third-party products for Apple devices.