Apple sued over iCloud trademark

Apple is no stranger to trademark disputes. It has been involved in battles over rights to product names with everyone from Cisco, over the iPhone trademark, to the The Beatles and rights to the Apple name. Currently, the company is engaged in legal proceedings with Microsoft and others over rights to the generic-sounding App Store name.

Now Apple has been drawn into the fray again, this time by an Arizona-based VoIP company that has claimed ownership to the iCloud trademark.

According to Apple Insider, iCloud Communications claimed to have been using the iCloud trademark since 2005. "The suit alleges that Apple has damaged the company's trademark due to the worldwide media coverage given to Apple's iCloud announcement and the 'ensuing saturation advertising campaign pursed by Apple'".

Apple's iCloud service was announced by the company at its annual developer conference last week.

From Apple Insider:

"Partly because of its high level of secrecy, the company does have a track record of launching products first and then sorting out the relevant trademarks afterward. For instance, recent high-profile products and services from Apple such as the iPhone, iPad and iAd were all subject to trademark infringement lawsuits that were later settled. "For its part, Apple filed for the iCloud trademark in Jamaica last December and then in Europe and the U.S. last week."