The Brazilian Institute for Industrial Property (INPI) has nixed Apple’s request to retain exclusive legal rights to the word “iPhone,” reports “Forbes” (www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml).
Gradiente, a Brazilian electronics company, had first requested to trademark “iPhone” as their brand back in 2000 before Apple’s smartphone was unveiled. INPI gave Gradiente that exclusivity in 2008 for their G-Gradiente iPhone, which runs the Android operating system.