Fujitsu and Apple Fight Over the iPad Name

Believe it or not, there are several companies who want the iPad trademark all to themselves. Fujitsu has actually been selling its own iPad–a less-than-glamorous inventory processing device–since 2002. The company has had a U.S. trademark application since 2003, which is still currently pending.

Apple got into the fun in September of last year when the Fujitsu application was published. Apple opposed it and put in its own application for the iPad trademark at that time.

Several other companies also have their own iPads. Mag-Tek has a trademark for the IPAD. Its version is a magnetic card reader. STMicroelectronics owns the Ipad trademark in Europe. Steve Jobs has his work cut out for him.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is wondering why Apple chose a name like iPad in the first place. According to the New York Times, women are flummoxed by the iPad name due to its relation to a certain feminine product, and Irish and Bostonian folks are worried that they won’t be able to distinguish “iPod” and “iPad”.

No matter how you cut it, the name is pretty awkward. You figure Apple is cursing the fact that it didn’t go with iSlate? [via Engadget and NY Times]