4 ms·

Can they really trademark the name of an element? That seems absurd.

contingencies 6y ago
You can trademark ~anything but it might not stand up in court. Then again, who is going to take Apple to court? For them it's just cheap insurance.
- dcewcrrec 6y ago
  You have to have the trademark approved, and they don't really care how big your company is, they will not approve a trademark for the word silicon. See: clothing brand Supreme's attempt to trademark their Supreme logo on a red background. If apple combines the word with a unique logo or combines it with some other word, they can get the trademark, but you can't get it for the word silicon by itself.
  - jedberg 6y ago
    Apple has a trademark on the word Apple in the computer space.
    - CraftThatBlock 6y ago
      Yes, but silicon is a common word in tech.
      - JimDabell 6y ago
        "Windows" was a common word in tech, but Microsoft managed to get a trademark on that.
lucd 6y ago
What's next? A fruit name?
jedberg 6y ago
You can trademark "Apple Silicon" (both words together with caps)
duskwuff 6y ago
I don't see any real suggestion that they'd do so. Apple has referred to their hardware in developer documentation as "Apple Silicon" -- possibly to avoid trademark issues with ARM? -- but I expect them to use the same naming scheme they use for their iOS application processors (like "Apple A16X") once they have a product ready for market. MacWorld's use of phrases like "Apple's Silicon processor" is likely to just represent confusion on the part of the journalist. As an aside, I have a very hard time believing that Apple would reenter the networking industry. Consumer wireless access points are a commodity product at this point -- it'd be difficult for Apple to present a compelling premium option, especially when many consumers are satisfied with the one that came built into their cable modem.
- jedberg 6y ago
  There is still one area of networking that isn't well solved, and that's captive wifi. A device that I can plug into the wall in a hotel or airport and magically have all my apple devices on the internet would be handy. If they made an airport express that did that, I'd probably get it (once we can travel again).
  - gruturo 6y ago
    I bought a cheap travel router from GL.INET which creates the same SSID as my home, and automatically establishes a VPN with my home. It can get its connectivity from an upstream WiFi, from an Ethernet port or from whatever (4g stick, mobile phone with usb tethering ability) you plug in its USB port. It was all of 19 bucks IIRC.
    - walterbell 6y ago
      Which home device/software is running the VPN server?
      - gruturo 6y ago
        The endpoint is a Ubiquiti Edgerouter. I also have a pi behind it which acts as openvpn endpoint, with a port forward on the edgerouter
robin_reala 6y ago
Yes: https://www.iridium.com/ https://www.iridium.com/
ytch 6y ago
https://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/trademark/appletmlist.html https://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/trademark/... Apple already trademarked "Carbon", and some others like: Aqua, Bonjour, Cocoa, Instruments, Logic, Metal, New York
occamschainsaw 6y ago
They already trademarked a fruit.
kasabali 6y ago
This trend of using "silicon" as a phrase for computing hardware is silly anyway. I was super annoyed by it since I've read this marbleous piece of work in Windows Blog [0] years ago. > Silicon innovation > silicon partners > silicon features > silicon supported virtualization > with a focus on Windows and silicon and wait for it > deep integration between silicon, platform, and hardware At least nobody would be able to use it anymore without infringing if Apple has trademarked it. [0] https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windows-10-embracing-silicon-innovation/ https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windo...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
appleflaxen 6y ago
a trademark is much different than a copyright or patent. It is only a brand name, and there are no requirements regarding the substantialness of the underlying thing to which it refers. Copyright has an extremely low bar, as well, but it has a bar. You could trademark the wheel if you wanted to, or your brand of the holy bible.
dbbk 6y ago
I don't think they are going to call it just "Silicon", this article headline is the first time I've seen that used. It will be Apple Silicon, or something new entirely.

You can trademark ~anything but it might not stand up in court. Then again, who is going to take Apple to court? For them it's just cheap insurance.

dcewcrrec 6y ago
You have to have the trademark approved, and they don't really care how big your company is, they will not approve a trademark for the word silicon. See: clothing brand Supreme's attempt to trademark their Supreme logo on a red background. If apple combines the word with a unique logo or combines it with some other word, they can get the trademark, but you can't get it for the word silicon by itself.
- jedberg 6y ago
  Apple has a trademark on the word Apple in the computer space.
  - CraftThatBlock 6y ago
    Yes, but silicon is a common word in tech.
    - JimDabell 6y ago
      "Windows" was a common word in tech, but Microsoft managed to get a trademark on that.

lucd 6y ago

What's next? A fruit name?

jedberg 6y ago

You can trademark "Apple Silicon" (both words together with caps)

duskwuff 6y ago

I don't see any real suggestion that they'd do so. Apple has referred to their hardware in developer documentation as "Apple Silicon" -- possibly to avoid trademark issues with ARM? -- but I expect them to use the same naming scheme they use for their iOS application processors (like "Apple A16X") once they have a product ready for market. MacWorld's use of phrases like "Apple's Silicon processor" is likely to just represent confusion on the part of the journalist. As an aside, I have a very hard time believing that Apple would reenter the networking industry. Consumer wireless access points are a commodity product at this point -- it'd be difficult for Apple to present a compelling premium option, especially when many consumers are satisfied with the one that came built into their cable modem.

jedberg 6y ago
There is still one area of networking that isn't well solved, and that's captive wifi. A device that I can plug into the wall in a hotel or airport and magically have all my apple devices on the internet would be handy. If they made an airport express that did that, I'd probably get it (once we can travel again).
- gruturo 6y ago
  I bought a cheap travel router from GL.INET which creates the same SSID as my home, and automatically establishes a VPN with my home. It can get its connectivity from an upstream WiFi, from an Ethernet port or from whatever (4g stick, mobile phone with usb tethering ability) you plug in its USB port. It was all of 19 bucks IIRC.
  - walterbell 6y ago
    Which home device/software is running the VPN server?
    - gruturo 6y ago
      The endpoint is a Ubiquiti Edgerouter. I also have a pi behind it which acts as openvpn endpoint, with a port forward on the edgerouter

robin_reala 6y ago

Yes: https://www.iridium.com/ https://www.iridium.com/

ytch 6y ago

https://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/trademark/appletmlist.html https://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/trademark/... Apple already trademarked "Carbon", and some others like: Aqua, Bonjour, Cocoa, Instruments, Logic, Metal, New York

occamschainsaw 6y ago

They already trademarked a fruit.

kasabali 6y ago

This trend of using "silicon" as a phrase for computing hardware is silly anyway. I was super annoyed by it since I've read this marbleous piece of work in Windows Blog [0] years ago. > Silicon innovation > silicon partners > silicon features > silicon supported virtualization > with a focus on Windows and silicon and wait for it > deep integration between silicon, platform, and hardware At least nobody would be able to use it anymore without infringing if Apple has trademarked it. [0] https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windows-10-embracing-silicon-innovation/ https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windo...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

appleflaxen 6y ago

a trademark is much different than a copyright or patent. It is only a brand name, and there are no requirements regarding the substantialness of the underlying thing to which it refers. Copyright has an extremely low bar, as well, but it has a bar. You could trademark the wheel if you wanted to, or your brand of the holy bible.

dbbk 6y ago

I don't think they are going to call it just "Silicon", this article headline is the first time I've seen that used. It will be Apple Silicon, or something new entirely.