Computerworld – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has provisionally denied Apple’s trademark application for “iPad Mini” because the term is “merely descriptive” of the tablet’s size.
Notice of the rejection was mailed to Apple on Jan. 25, but was only made public in the last week, according to Patently Apple, which first reported on the decision.
The iPad Mini was launched last October, and went on sale in early November at prices starting at $329. Apple filed for the trademark Nov. 15, 2012.
In denying the application, the USPTO said the examining attorney decided, “The wording merely describes a feature of applicant’s goods, namely, a small sized handheld tablet computer.” Elsewhere in the letter, the agency cited prior cases, including one that said the word “mini” was just a label for “goods that are produced and sold in miniature form.”
Read also:
Apple Loses The iPad Mini Trademark (Forbes)
Apple application to trademark iPad Mini denied (CBS News)
USPTO denies Apple's trademark application for iPad mini (Apple Insider)
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