U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Reconsiders Apple iPad Mini Request

By Cynthia Herbert :: 9:36 PM

Last month, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) turned down Apple’s request to trademark the word Mini in reference to its iPad Mini tablet. The USPTO declined the request because it felt the term was merely descriptive of the diminutive tablet.

In a statement released last week, the USPTO explained, “upon further review of the application, the examining attorney has determined that the following refusals issued in the initial Office action should be withdrawn. The examining attorney apologizes for any inconvenience caused.”

The office has determined that Apple can use the word Mini in a trademarked fashion, but must do so with a disclaimer that reads, “No claim is made to the exclusive right to use ‘MINI’ apart from the mark as shown.”

In other words, Apple cannot use the word Mini to describe the tablet, but only as its name.

Apple has not publicly acknowledged the USPTO’s recent statements regarding its trademark filings.