news@appleinsider.com (William Gallagher)
2023-09-01 06:37:15
appleinsider.com
Five years after the US Patent Office rejected Apple’s bid to trademark the term “Smart Keyboard,” the two sides have agreed to settle their dispute.
Apple introduced the Smart Keyboard for iPad in 2015, and in 2018, its attempt to register the trademark was denied by the US Patent Office (USPTO). The ruling said that the term was generic, and therefore ineligible for trademarking.
In 2021, Apple’s appeal against the decision was turned down by the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Following that decision, Apple sued the USPTO.
The filing does not disclose the terms of the settlement, and it is not known whether Apple can now trademark the term. All the filing says is that the lawyers are asking for a short extension to “allow them time to finalize their agreement and file a stipulation with the court.”