Patent Office Refused Apple Trademark For Multi-Touch

There is a severe blow to Apple as the Patent office refused Apple the trademark for “Multi-Touch”. This is the term that Apple will never dominate over now.

multitouch gesture on Apple iphone ipad and ipod use of hands to give commands

On the day when iPhone was announced, January 9, 2007, Apple applied for a trademark. But this request was turned down by the patent office. The Patent and Trademark Office of United States held the opinion that the term was too broad and hence decided to deny Apple of the trademark and patent.

According to the decision, “The examining attorney maintains that “multi-touch” is“highly descriptive” and identifies a type of touchscreen interface which “allows a user to manipulate and control the functions of an electronic device by using more than one finger simultaneously. … Again, simply because the applied-for term has been used in association with a highly successful product does not mean the term has acquired distinctiveness.”

There was eventually no surprise caused by this decision as the term multi-touch was always in use before iPhone even came into existence.

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