Cisco expects deal with Apple on iPhone trademark

Giancarlo warns Apple about unresolved trademark issues

Cisco expects Apple to sign an agreement for the use of the 'iPhone' brand for its new mobile phone by the end of today, the networking manufacturer said in a statement. 

Apple unveiled a mobile phone dubbed iPhone at the Macworld conference in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Cisco has owned the iPhone trademark since it acquired Infogear Technologies in 2000.

Charlie Giancarlo, chief development officer at Cisco and president of Linksys, said in a meeting with reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that Cisco had been in talks with Apple over the trademark over the "past several years".

Cisco last night provided Apple with a new draft for a possible agreement.

"It is our belief that, with their announcement today, Apple intends to agree to the final document and public statement distributed to them last night," said Giancarlo. "We expect to receive a signed agreement today."

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs did not mention the trademark conflict in his Macworld keynote. The company did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

A video of Giancarlo addressing the iPhone trademark is available on vnunet.com's CES Blog.

• Jobs announces the mighty iPhone