Apple Denied iPad Mini US Trademark

The Patent Office turned down the trademark application for Apple's smaller tablet because the name didn't create a "unique meaning" and it's "merely descriptive". The firm still have until the end of July to persuade the Patent Office that the smaller tablet differs from its iconic sibling. As you may have noticed, Apple have been involved in patent battles a lot recently, with rival firms. Last year it won a significant case against Samsung, but a judge in the US ordered that the £660m ($1bn) in damages awarded to Apple will be cut down by 40%. The Tech Giants aren't happy about that, as Samsung deserves to be punished severely.

In the last quarter, to January, Apple stated that it had sold a massive 22.9 million iPad Minis and iPads. The letter regarding the turn down of the trademark application stated the "applied-for mark merely describes a feature or characteristic of applicant's goods". The terms "mini" and "pad" and the prefix "i-" were not descriptive, it decided. Neither as individual terms nor as a composite result - iPad Mini - did they "create a unique, incongruous, or non-descriptive meaning in relation to the goods being small handheld mobile devices comprising tablet computers capable of providing internet access". Of course, since Apple owns the iPad trademark, it would be strange to not issue the iPad Mini trademark as a whole for them. Apple owns a trademark for the iPod nano and other iDevice variations, all of them having characteristics that merely describe the features of the device. It wouldn’t hurt Apple to be more descriptive with their product, but they shouldn’t be sanctioned for that. How will this 'case' end?