A long-standing legal dispute over the “iPhone” trademark in Brazil between Apple and local electronics company Gradiente is still awaiting final judgment from the country’s Supreme Court. (The case highlights the complexities of global trademark law and the challenges that arise when companies from different countries claim rights to the same brand name.)
Gradiente’s CEO, Eugênio Staub, maintains that his company created the first “iPhone” in Brazil, launching a device called “Gradiente Iphone” in 2000 – seven years before Apple’s iPhone debut. Staub showed evidence of the old phone unit and promotional materials, claiming they sold 30,000 units within months, as reported by 9toMac.
However, due to some other dispute, Gradiente only received the official trademark in 2008, a year after Apple introduced its iPhone. The legal battle (intensified) in 2013 when Apple requested the Brazilian regulator invalidate Gradiente’s trademark, which resulted in Gradiente losing exclusive rights to the name.
Staub expressed frustration as some Brazilians believe Gradient is trying to profit from the situation. He insists this is not true. He acknowledges that Steve Jobs made a “great product,” but he argues that this does not change the fact that Gradiente used the name first.
The case has reached Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court and is expected to set a precedent for intellectual property disputes. As of December 2024, a final trial date has yet to be announced.