Apple’s request to use the iPhone name in Brazil has been denied by regulators at Inpi. Instead they have ruled in favor of IGB Eletronica SA, a Brazilian electronics maker that applied to register the name in 2000.
IGB Eletronica won the rights to use the name in 2008 and has been selling their own “iPhone” since December. Apple can use the iPhone name on other products… just not for smartphones.
The response comes seven years after Apple initially filed its request for a ruling on the matter. It comes as a blow to the electronics giant, as they seek to expand their brands into emerging markets like Brazil.