Apple playing chicken with Cisco … probably not a good idea

Is it possible Apple called Cisco’s bluff on the use of the iPhone name? What were they thinking? Cisco today sued the company to prevent Apple from using the name iPhone for the it’s new smartphone. The name iPhone is a registered trademark of Cisco’s Linksys division. Linksys picked up the iPhone name when it bought a company called Infogear in 2000. Cisco’s iPhones are telephone handsets designed for use on a VoIP network. Published reports said the companies were in talks to license the name but it seems that Apple went ahead with the announcement before actually signing any agreements. In a time where companies will go to court at the drop of a hat this couldn’t have been a surprise.