Apple's 'iWatch' Trademarking Spree Also Includes Taiwan and Mexico [Updated]

In addition to filing for a trademark on the term "iWatch" in Russia and Japan on June 3, we have discovered that Apple filed for a trademark in Taiwan, which follows a report from 9to5Mac that Apple filed in Mexico as well, bringing the total number of trademark filings to four.

iwatchtaiwan

Apple's Taiwan Filing

In both iWatch trademark filings discovered today, Apple Inc. is listed as the company behind the requests and the company’s Infinite Loop address in Cupertino, California is included on the applications. The filing in Mexico was submitted via Mexico-based law firm Arochi, Marroquín, & Linder, S.C, which has worked with Apple on other product trademarks.

News of the iWatch, which is one possible name for Apple's rumored smart watch, first surfaced in late 2012 and was followed by a patent application for a wraparound-style “wearable video device” in February.

According to reports, Apple has a team of 100 product designers working on the watch, which may include a 1.5–2.0 inch OLED display along with biometrics, iPod nano touch technology, and the ability to interact with existing iOS devices.

While it has been suggested that Apple's smart watch could launch later this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has instead targeted a late 2014 release date for the iWatch, suggesting that Apple is not quite ready to ramp up production for a 2013 debut.

Update: Apple also appears to have filed for an iWatch trademark in Turkey through Pinar Arikan, an attorney who has worked with the company in the past. While the filing does not list Apple as the applicant, it was filed on the same June 3 date as the other applications.


Update 2: Apple has also filed for the mark in Colombia and Chile.

Update 3: A tipster has also pointed us to a filing in India, bringing the total number of international filings discovered so far to nine, including the original December 2012 application in Jamaica that Apple is using to establish priority.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

Apple Intelligence Features Not Coming to European Union at Launch Due to DMA

Friday June 21, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple today said that European customers will not get access to the Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, and SharePlay Screen Sharing features that are coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac this September due to regulatory issues related to the Digital Markets Act. In a statement to Financial Times, Apple said that there will be a delay as it works to figure out how to make the new...

Apple Explains iPhone 15 Pro Requirement for Apple Intelligence

Wednesday June 19, 2024 4:48 am PDT by
With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple is introducing a new personalized AI experience called Apple Intelligence that uses on-device, generative large-language models to enhance the user experience across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. These new AI features require Apple's latest iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models to work, while only Macs and iPads with M1 or later chips will...

Amazon Could Charge Up to $10/Month for Alexa

Friday June 21, 2024 2:55 pm PDT by
Apple competitor Amazon is working on a revamp of its Alexa assistant, and the new version could cost up to $10 per month, according to a report from Reuters. The upcoming version of Alexa will support conversational generative AI, and Amazon is planning for two tiers of service. There will be a free tier and a second, premium tier that is priced at $5 at a minimum, with Amazon considering...

Spotify Launches Cheaper $10.99/Month Premium Plan Without Audiobooks

Friday June 21, 2024 4:22 pm PDT by
Spotify today announced the launch of a new Basic paid plan that offers a small discount for dropping access to audiobooks. Priced at $10.99 per month, the Basic option includes all of the music benefits of Spotify like ad-free playback, but without added monthly audiobook listening time. The $11.99 standard Premium Individual plan that Spotify offers includes ad-free playback and 15 hours...

5 Biggest Changes Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro Max

Wednesday June 19, 2024 5:00 am PDT by
Given Apple's rumored plan to add an all-new high-end tier to its iPhone 17 series in 2025, this could be the year for Apple to bring its boldest "Pro Max" model to the table — the kind of iPhone 16 upgrade that stands tall above its siblings, both figuratively and literally. If you have been holding out for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, here are five of the biggest changes rumored to be coming...

Top Rated Comments

143 months ago
They couldn't register it in the US, the NSA got there first.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
I think these tech companies are going to get a huge shock when they enter the wearable accessories market ... I kind of wish Apple wouldn't be the first in on this one, let the competition make the mistakes and bring out a brilliant product further down the track.






There has been a variety of unsuccessful smartwatches in the past. Nothing major but the situation is similar to the iPad and the pre-iPad "tablet PCs".

If the past repeats itself again, competitors following Apple in the smartwatch trend should still make mistakes in their first iterations and take like 2-3 years to catch up. That's enough for Apple to make some $ and secure itself the advantages associated with a good marketshare for the future (large app selection, third party accessories, content deals)...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
Currently, Apple largely targets these people who buy/wear $2,000 status symbols (and more realistically try $200,000+ status symbols). The iPhone is the absolute top of the range smartphone you can buy that has brilliant design and build quality. The iPhone is something celebrities and millionaires alike love to flaunt, because it's a stunning looking product. Same goes for all of Apple's current products.

These people love using iPods, iPads, iPhones, iMacs etc because they're the best things they can buy and they come with a sense of prestige. It's also why we all want the devices.

But I don't see Roger Federer walking around using his iPhone sporting the iWatch ... I think the iWatch is going to be targeting a very, very different audience than Apple's current target market and I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as successful because of this.
At least in the U.S., iPhones are not status symbols. Most middle-class people can afford them; they're nothing like high-end Rolexes.

And Apple targets average consumers, not millionaires and celebrities. They market themselves as the premium brand but not a luxury brand.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
Well...looks like...(puts on sunglasses)...we'll have to watch what happens.
YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
I wonder if the iWatch (watch as a verb) is the TV and the whole wrist thing (watch as a noun) was a massive curve ball thrown at the speculators. That'd be an awesome move. Not sure about an actual watch (as a noun) though, but I'll have to wait and see.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
143 months ago
If Apple does a good job at releasing this they'll be fine!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)