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Hands off, Apple! Irish dev studio sues over alleged iWatch infringement

Two companies, both alike in dignity, in fair Milan

Cupertino's lawyers must hasten with all fair speed to Milan, where Irish company Probendi has filed a suit alleging infringement of the latter's iWatch trademark.

Apple has placed an advertisement with Google to link to its wristjob when users search for the "iWatch", presumably to catch the eyes of novitiate fanbois not yet to fully au fait with the wristjob's true branding.

However, an Irish development studio, Probendi, actually owns the iWatch trademark in Europe, and filed an urgent procedure with a Milanese court on 26 June to counter Cupertino's use of the term for advertising, according to a tribunal filing obtained by Bloomberg.

Probendi filed for its trademark in August 2008, and it was awarded in February 2009.

Probendi is represented by the intellectual property lawyers Mondini & Rusconi, who valued the trademark at €87m in an audit, according to Bloomberg.

Apple was forced to pay out $60m in China last year over an IPAD trademark dispute.

The Register has contacted Apple for comment and has not received a response as of publication. ®

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