Apple has referred to its standard issue mouse as a “Mighty Mouse” since 2005, but a recent ruling from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) might mean that Apple will have to start coming up with an alternative name for its mouse sometime soon.
The “Mighty Mouse” moniker is by no means an Apple invention, as anyone who grew up watching the cartoon series Mighty Mouse can attest to. For the past 4 years, Apple has licensed the right to use the name from CBS, the owner of the Mighty Mouse trademark. But the catch is that the original trademark owned by CBS doesn’t encompass computer peripherals, meaning that CBS wasn’t really authorized to license the name to Apple in the first place.
So who the hell owns it, you might be wondering.
Well, the USPTO recently granted official registration of the Mighty Mouse trademark to Man & Machine CEO Clifton Broumand, whose company released a water proof mouse under the same name in 2004, months before Apple’s Mighty Mouse was introduced.
Apple, of course, could still license the name from Broumand himself, but that doesn’t seem too likely. Besides, Apple is rumored to be hard at work putting the finishing touches on a brand new mouse that will reportedly do away with the pesky scroll ball and replace it with a multi-touch surface, a’la the iPhone. In fact, FTC blueprints for such a device were actually uncovered by Engadget last week.
Broumand, though, is undoubtedly busy celebrating as we speak. In a statement issued to the press earlier today, he stated:
Others have used the name Mighty Mouse for their computer mice and have sought registration of that trademark, but now the United States government has spoken. We look forward to the continuation and expansion of the Mighty Mouse line of waterproof mice.
Here here!
Oh woops, my bad, I just got caught up in the patriotic fervor of Broumand’s message.
In any event, it’s about time that Apple’s Mighty Mouse fade into the sunset. When the mouse worked, it worked well, but when the scroll ball started to stick (as it often did), well let’s just say that it’s time for Apple to move on to bigger and better things.
A new mouse calls for a new name, and the timing couldn’t be any better.
October 8th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Change is good and if the new Mouse is going to be revolutionary as being rumored.
Change of Name & marketing can be done to differentiate the Old Might Mouse from the new device being released.
As you said;
“A new mouse calls for a new name, and the timing couldn’t be any better.”
This is a good thing, One site is reporting this as if Apple got their head handed to them and this is not the case at all, this is a good thing.
Man & Machine wanted the Mighty Mouse name so bad let them have it.
I have my reservations in regards to the Mighty Mouse from Apple, It is a Love Hate relationship, as allot of others have reported, the “scroll ball” has allot to be desired, even if you do clean it twice a month.
October 8th, 2009 at 1:31 am
Er, you meant to say “Hear Hear!”.
October 8th, 2009 at 10:14 am
If the SuperDrive name was used on high density microfloppies and again for a optical drive that burns DVD-R as well as CD-R, then I suppose the new mouse should be called SuperMouse. Unfortunately that name also has been taken by a cartoon mouse from 1942 Standard Comics. Maybe MultiMouse? That is the name of a UNIX application, probably not patented. TouchMouse is available.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Where is Andy Kaufman when we really need him?
October 8th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
If Apple bought the rights in good faith from CBS, isn’t CBS the bad guys here, not Apple?
P.S. I haven’t liked mice since Apple cheapened the original, mechanical ADB mouse (which I loved the feel of). I’ve used track balls ever since (track pads drive me crazy).
October 8th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Mr. Ron, 😉
–
CBS are the bad guys here. More likely due to ignorance. But damages where incurred. They should pay.
Apple should agree to CBS putting a half-page ad in the top 25 newspapers and a full-page ad in the top 10 magazines across the country, explaining the mistake. This would be more valuable to Apple, than money.
CBS should also pay for any actual damages incurred by Mr. Broumand.