Pe 9 ianuarie 2007 Steve Jobs prezenta jurnalistilor prezenti la o conferinta MacWorld primul terminal iPhone cosntruit vreodata de Apple insa putini stiau ca denumirea dispozitivului avea sa reprezinte un motiv de disputa intre Apple si Cisco. Apple nu detinea un brevet de marca inregistrata pentru denumirea iPhone atunci cand a lansat dispozitivul insa Cisco avea asa ceva dar nu era dispus sa il ofere companiei Apple. Steve Jobs a luat legatura cu cei de la Cisco in ideea de a obtine denumirea iPhone fara a plati vreun ban insa a fost refuzat asa ca si-a pus avocatii la treaba si i-a acuzat pe cei de la Cisco de abandonarea marcii iPhone. Desi Cisco a amenintat cu intentarea unui proces in cazul prezentarii terminalului iPhone cu denumirea actuala, Steve Jobs a facut e xact cum a vrut si prezentat noul smartphone cu denumirea pe care o stim astazi iar pe 10 ianuarie 2007 Cisco intenta un proces impotriva companiei Apple pentru utilizarea fara drept a marcii iPhone.
Giancarlo fielded a call directly from Steve Jobs. “Steve called in and said that he wanted it,” Giancarlo recalled. “He didn’t offer us anything for it. It was just like a promise he’d be our best friend. And we said, ‘No, we’re planning on using it.’ ” Shortly after that, Apple’s legal department called to say they thought Cisco had “abandoned the brand,” meaning that in Apple’s legal opinion Cisco hadn’t adequately defended its intellectual property rights by promoting the name. To Apple’s way of thinking this meant the name iPhone was available for Apple’s use. Giancarlo, who subsequently joined the prominent Silicon Valley private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners, said Cisco threatened litigation before the launch. Then, the day after Apple announced its iPhone, Cisco filed suit.
The negotiation displayed some classic Steve Jobs negotiating tactics. Giancarlo said Jobs called him at home at dinnertime on Valentine’s Day, as the two sides were haggling. Jobs talked for a while, Giancarlo related. “And then he said to me, ‘Can you get email at home?’ “ Giancarlo was taken aback. This was 2007, after all, when broadband Internet was ubiquitous in homes in the US, let alone that of a Silicon Valley executive who had worked for years on advanced Internet technology. “And he’s asking me if I’m able to get email at home. You know he’s just trying to press my buttons—in the nicest possible way.” Cisco gave up the fight shortly after that. The two sides reached a vague agreement to cooperate on areas of mutual interest.
Dupa o perioada in care Steve Jobs a “hartuit” membri ai echipei de conducere a Cisco, cele doua companii au ajuns la un acord comun in care se prevedea ca Apple va primi drepturile asupra marcii iPhone si va coopera cu Cisco in anumite domenii. Detalii in legatura cu acest acord nu se cunosc insa Steve Jobs a reusit sa obtina, in stilul sau caracteristic, tot ceea ce si-a dorit si nu i-a pasat cum a reusit sa faca acest lucru. In 2010 Apple a schimbat denumirea iPhone OS in iOS o data cu lansarea tabletei iPad insa marca iOS apartinea celor de la Cisco si era prescurtarea pentru Internet Operating System. Desi in 2007 Apple a luat marca iPhone cu forta, in 2010 compania din Cupertino a fost nevoita sa cumpere marca iOS pe care o foloseste si astazi in sistemul de operare dedicat iDevice-urilor.
Aceasta este povestea “preluarii” marcii iPhone de catre Apple si sunt sigur ca v-ati convins deja in legatura cu modul in care lucreaza Steve Jobs.
