Score another one for David over Goliath. In this case, a small Oregon telco equipment provider called Integra Telecom has bested giant Google. Google’s request for a trademark for its Nexus One smart phone has been denied because Integra already has a similar mark. So what does Google do now? Datamation takes a look.
Google doesn’t get embarrassed too often, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) just dealt it a loss of face by rejecting its application for a trademark for the Nexus One smartphone.
The PTO decided on March 9 to decline Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) request on the grounds it could cause confusion with the mark in U.S. Registration No. 3554195, which belongs to the Oregon company Integra Telecom.
Integra, a provider of phone, Internet and other telecom services to small and midsized businesses, applied for its trademark in December 2008 for its Nexus fixed bandwidth integrated voice and Internet T1 product.
In its ruling, the USPTO argued that due to the similarity of the marks, (Nexus One vs. Nexus), the similarity of the goods and/or services (both are telecommunications products), and similarity of trade channels, there is reason to believe issuing Google the mark could cause confusion.