For some insight into how the USPTO thinks, and how that affects even large, successful companies like Apple, here is some fascinating news:
iPad mini may soon need to go by another name. According to a recent story from the BBC News, the Cupertino, Calif. company has been denied a trademark for the iPad mini by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But this time around, it's not for the reasons you might think. At this point in the game, we're pretty used to Apple getting caught up in legal battles over its trademarks and patents due to some kind of confusion with a rival company (Samsung, anyone?).
But rather than it being another legal battle with another corporation, this one is all on Apple's lack of originality with its iPad mini name. Reportedly, the trademark application for Apple's smaller tablet was shot down due to its name being "merely descriptive." The term simply didn't create a unique meaning, and was therefore not deemed acceptable for a trademark in the U.S.
According to the report, Apple still has a few months -- until July -- to convince the Patent Office otherwise. And it's likely already been working to do exactly that, as the letter was issued back in January, but only recently surfaced. In the letter, it was noted that the terms "mini" and "pad" and "i-" were nothing more than descriptors.
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