Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Apple Sued Over EarPods v HearPods Trademark


Apple being sued by Randolph Divisions and Hearpod Inc. for similarities in product function and name; paperwork demands damages and ceased production.
The lawsuit war continues with Apple, this time it being on the receiving end of one. Last week the paperwork was filed that stated that Apple's new headphone dubbed "Earpods" is infringing on the product of Randolph Divisions and Hearpod Inc. and its trademark "Hearpods".  
The company manufactures hearing aids under the name Hearpods, which was trademarked back in February of 2005, removing any doubt of who came up with it first. The lawsuit complains: "Both Plaintiffs' Goods and Defendant's Goods are similar in nature in that, among other things, they are inserted into the ears of their users and are used to facilitate and enhance the transmission of sounds to the users."  
The company demands that Apple not only pay damages, but also cease the sale of its Earpods headphones. Hearpod Inc has spent $625,000 promoting its product since the patent was files in Hawaii, results in $1.7 million in sales so far.  Earpods were introduced along with the iPhone 5, and is the first line of headphones that Apple have given a brand name. This is not even the first time Apple have received lawsuits concerning its headphones, with previous allegations of patent infringement of audio transfer techniques and another lawsuit complaining about the volume of its headphones, which led to a software limiter to be implemented. [Source]

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