Simply slapping a sticker with “iPhone” on it doesn’t necessarily mean that Cisco is rightfully using the mark in commerce. Which is what the company allegedly did, a few days prior to 5/16/2006 – a full six months after the deadline for filing the Declaration of Use. Cisco was very fortunate for the six months grace period granted by the USPTO.

Cisco was required to file a copy of a label or packaging showing the trademark in use, which they did. The picture shows a box for the Linksys CIT200 Cordless Internet Telephony Kit, with a sticker showing the world "iPhone™" affixed to the back, outside the shrink-wrap (see picture below). The mark is worth an ungodly amount of money and this is how Cisco goes about protecting it? I’m sorry but if there’s any truth to this, they deserve to lose the mark! In any event, should Cisco lose the rights to the mark, Ocean Telecom Services LLC is next in line for the name; which some believe to be a front company for Apple. Perhaps, Apple was wise not to seal the deal with Cisco on Monday night.

In related news, talks between Apple and Cisco didn’t go too well yesterday – according to MYiPhone insider source.

Cisco lost rights to iPhone trademark last year, experts say [via blogs.zdnet.com]