Just a follow-up to this post. Cisco had in fact been in negotiations with Apple for a long time over the iPhone name and was prepared to make them a deal so Apple could use it. Cisco was extremely surprised by Apple's unveiling of the phone when they hadn't closed the deal though. As I said earlier I think this will cost Apple a bunch of cash and will likely delay the launch of their phone unless they rename it or settle quickly.

     I really can't fathom the hubris behind this sort of decision making. I guess maybe Steve just thinks he should be able to do anything he wants now?

From Fox News via Estrogen Lass:

"Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO), the world's largest networking equipment maker, sued Apple in San Francisco federal court on Wednesday, claiming that Apple's iPhone violates its trademark.

Cisco is asking the court to forbid Apple from using the name "iPhone," which Cisco has held a trademark on since 2000 and used to brand a line of its own Internet-enabled phones that began shipping last spring and officially launched three weeks ago.

...

Cisco said the talks broke down just hours before Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, took to the stage Tuesday at the annual Macworld Conference and Expo to introduce the multimedia device.

"We certainly expected that since they had gone ahead and announced a product without receiving permission to use the brand, that meant that the negotiation was concluded," said Mark Chandler, Cisco senior vice president and general counsel."

I am baffled.