The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else?
29 Dec 2009 // 32 comments // Internet Development
After discovering that Apple had registered iSlate.com in late 2006 (we dug a little deeper and found trademarks had been filed for ‘ISLATE’ in both the United States and Europe by a company that was most likely a dummy corporation set up by Apple), MacRumors has now discovered another possible name for the upcoming Apple tablet.
MacRumors bases its report on the filing for a US trademark for ‘IGUIDE’ by another Delaware-registered company called iGuide Media LLC, which can be linked to Cupertino by means of signatures on the documents coming from Apple’s Senior Trademark Specialist, Regina Porter.
Let’s dig a little deeper, once again.
Domain names
There’s no indication that Apple owns any domain name that contains the term ‘iguide’. The identity if iguide.com is shielded from public WHOIS records, but not by Mark Monitor, the brand protection firm Apple usually works with. The domain name iguide.net belongs to a company called iGuide Media, a marketing and design firm started by Jon Warren back in 1997 and led by a Brian Noon from 2002 to 2006, when the company was sold.
I checked a couple of other TLDs (.ca, .fr, and more) and found no indication that Apple owns any of those.
Trademarks
Two trademarks were filed for ‘IGUIDE’ by iGuide Media LLC (through a James Johnston) in the United States: a principal and a service mark, both on 18 December 2007. The description of goods and services given to iGuide Media is very similar to the one given to Slate Computing, the supposed shell company set up by Apple used to register the trademark for ‘ISLATE’, although it leans a bit more to a focus on software and services than hardware.
On the exact same day, iGuide Media LLC filed for a trademark in Europe as well: search OHIM for ‘iguide’ and you find a trademark filing that has all the Apple marks on it: the legal representative is ‘EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE UK LLP’ (the same as for ‘ISLATE’ and ‘MACBOOK’, among others), and the priority country is Trinidad & Tobago, the same as when Apple filed for the ‘iphone’ trademark in Europe.
Noteworthy: the status history suggests that the community trademark application was registered (not filed) in February 2009, and that the full examination of the CTM application has been completed very recently, on the 18th of December 2009 to be exact.
Final thoughts
If I were betting man, I’d still be putting my money on the name iSlate for the tablet, Magic Slate for a possible peripheral, and iGuide for a service linked to the hardware device(s).
Here’s why:
- Apple doesn’t seem to own, directly nor indirectly, any ‘iguide’ domain names
- The ‘ISLATE’ and ‘MAGIC SLATE’ US trademarks were not filed for separately as a service trademark, unlike ‘IGUIDE’
- The ‘ISLATE’ US trademark was filed earlier than ‘IGUIDE’, by a different shell corporation (and the same as ‘MAGIC SLATE’)
- NYTimes editor Bill Keller’s mention of an ‘Apple slate’ device in a past speech
- According to Trademarkia, the ‘ISLATE’ trademark application was extended a second time last September, to show use in commerce
- The slightly different description for ‘goods and services’ for both Slate Computing and iGuide Media
Or, of course, we’re all wrong, and none of these names will ever be actually used by Apple. I would deem that unlikely, but we can’t know for sure.
Besides, has Apple announced that it’ll be selling a tablet computer yet?
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Im going for iPod Slate.
By using the word iPod they dont have to trademark.
The same way the term netbook is protected, maybe they envision a world where people just start calling every tablet a Slate or iSlate.
iQ
Why not call it…the iTouch?
Here are few iDEAs: iM, iME, icon, iD, iTELL, iSEE/K…
iSlate, iGuide, iBook, iTab, iPad.. etc, and this gadget will come when? ah yes, next 30 days?
Impressive! It’s amazing to see how people get so hype up on something that’s coming very soon. You guys already waited for this one for a year, why get so anxious now?
iSlate is what the iPhone was going to be called if they couldn’t secure the rights to the name. Technology of multitouch times 2? Not so shabby but not the best: http://bit.ly/n…t-best-or-worst
Maybe it’s http://itabletpad.com ?
Seriously who would of called it iSlide or iGuide… imagine Apple Crack head going around and say… “Dude I have iSlide / iGlide w00t w00t?”
Your probably dead right there.
I really dont like iSlate, and judging by most of the other comments, other people dont either.
But when Steve Jobs walks on that stage and says those famous words…
“Oh, one more thing. Checkout our iSlate”, everyone is going to fall in love with it.
The plot thickens — “Apple” is opposing “Fujitsu Transaction Solutions” in a USPTO filing for the mark “iPad” —
Number: 76497338 Filing Date: 09/29/2009
Status: Not Instituted Status Date: 09/29/2009
Opposition #:
Defendant
Name: Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc.
Correspondence: EDWARD A. PENNINGTON
HANIFY & KING, P.C.
1055 THOMAS JEFFERSON ST. NW SUITE 400
WASHINGTON, DC 20007
Serial #: 76497338 Application File
Application Status: Request For Extension of Time to File Opposition
Mark: IPAD
Potential Opposer
Name: Apple Inc.
Correspondence: Thomas R. La Perle
Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
UNITED STATES
glenn.gundersen@dechert.com, hal.borden@dechert.com, trademarks@dechert.com
Granted To Date: 02/28/2010
Prosecution History
# Date History Text
6 12/23/2009 EXTENSION OF TIME GRANTED
5 12/23/2009 INCOMING – EXT TIME TO OPPOSE FILED
4 10/20/2009 EXTENSION OF TIME GRANTED
3 10/20/2009 INCOMING – EXT TIME TO OPPOSE FILED
2 09/29/2009 EXTENSION OF TIME GRANTED
1 09/29/2009 INCOMING – EXT TIME TO OPPOSE FILED
+1. Love the iPad name. iSlate is a terrible name.
I dont like any of those names. They are terrible.
Blog Post: The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else? http://bit.ly/6IW48J
RT @7Touch: Blog Post: The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else? http://bit.ly/6IW48J
[...] examinant les éléments des dossiers des dépôts de marques, comme l’a fait Techcrunch, on voit par exemple que pour la demande d’enregistrement ISLATE déposée à l’USPTO, [...]
the Møøse from BBC reported that it will come in 2 versions, one called “Ipod touch XL” and the other “iPlate”
maybe iCrunchPad
“Dream Tablet”, “DreamPad”, “Edison” “Tabmate”?
again, iLove the Apple “I” branding strategy, but iDo NOT like iSlate (is late, isolate, slate also sounds too harsh)
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jeremy Ryan Ahn, 7TouchGroup. 7TouchGroup said: Blog Post: The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else? http://bit.ly/6IW48J [...]
I have been asking for an ‘iBook’ for years. Together with the iLibrary.
I know, there already was an iBook. But maybe it has been out of production long enough to reconsider using the name. I think it sounds a lot better than iSlate.
they will once Steve job’s mentions it.
Apple can name it whatever they want, if they name it iSlate the blogesphere will ram the story over and over again, it will start to catch on.
Whatever it is it will be a good product regardless of whether it is overpriced (it will be).
Many thought “Wii” was a name that did not fit but when we are programmed to something, it’s accepted, kinda like hearing a crap song on the radio over and over again, eventually you start to like it.
Um none of the names sound right.
I can’t think iSlate without hearing “isolate.” In these intensely social times, I can’t help but mentally stumble over the negative implications, unless they can get people to quickly drop the “I” and just call it their slate.
IMO the right name is iPad. It is what most people have been calling it for about 6 months. It’s just a natural name that has already slipped into the language.
I think we are going to see 1000s of articles a day in January about the i
Domain Name Wire reported that iGuide.com sold for $100,000 back in August.
http://domainna…lls-for-100000/
“Can we just call it the Newton and be done with it?”
Apple does own Newton.com.
The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else? http://bte.tc/aaCM #RTW
The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else? http://bte.tc/aaCM #RTW
Who cares what they call it. Like the Air, it will be a non seller. Nothing like coming late to the party. Tablets were being given away at IT conferences back in 2003. Seven years later Mac is going to do what? Unless this thing has an ass wiping feature it’s just going to be a pretty package with an over priced price tage.
It will be called Poo Poo (C).
What is sooo wrong waiting for a month before Apple finally reveals it. All this guessing is just one of Apple’s strategy to gain interest and excitement in the new product. Give it up people. Stop guessing what name Apple calls the new product.
It isLate…
Bad, bad name, comes with the joke…
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