<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><p><a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9238030/U.S._patent_office_rebuffs_Apple_s_iPad_Mini_trademark_request">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/03/31/apple-loses-the-ipad-mini-trademark/">Apple Loses The iPad Mini Trademark</a> (Forbes)</p><p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57577174/apple-application-to-trademark-ipad-mini-denied/">Apple application to trademark iPad Mini denied</a> (CBS News)</p><p><a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/03/31/uspto-denies-apples-trademark-application-for-ipad-mini">USPTO denies Apple&#039;s trademark application for iPad mini</a> (Apple Insider)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dlJhAUi2BqWVQrM7Ftb5zNO28NfsM&ned=us">54 additional articles.</a></p>