Apple's 'iWatch' Trademarking Spree Also Includes Taiwan and Mexico [Updated]

In addition to filing for a trademark on the term "iWatch" in Russia and Japan on June 3, we have discovered that Apple filed for a trademark in Taiwan, which follows a report from 9to5Mac that Apple filed in Mexico as well, bringing the total number of trademark filings to four.

iwatchtaiwan

Apple's Taiwan Filing

In both iWatch trademark filings discovered today, Apple Inc. is listed as the company behind the requests and the company’s Infinite Loop address in Cupertino, California is included on the applications. The filing in Mexico was submitted via Mexico-based law firm Arochi, Marroquín, & Linder, S.C, which has worked with Apple on other product trademarks.

News of the iWatch, which is one possible name for Apple's rumored smart watch, first surfaced in late 2012 and was followed by a patent application for a wraparound-style “wearable video device” in February.

According to reports, Apple has a team of 100 product designers working on the watch, which may include a 1.5–2.0 inch OLED display along with biometrics, iPod nano touch technology, and the ability to interact with existing iOS devices.

While it has been suggested that Apple's smart watch could launch later this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has instead targeted a late 2014 release date for the iWatch, suggesting that Apple is not quite ready to ramp up production for a 2013 debut.

Update: Apple also appears to have filed for an iWatch trademark in Turkey through Pinar Arikan, an attorney who has worked with the company in the past. While the filing does not list Apple as the applicant, it was filed on the same June 3 date as the other applications.

iwatchturkey
Update 2: Apple has also filed for the mark in Colombia and Chile.

Update 3: A tipster has also pointed us to a filing in India, bringing the total number of international filings discovered so far to nine, including the original December 2012 application in Jamaica that Apple is using to establish priority.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...

Top Rated Comments

Rog210 Avatar
165 months ago
They couldn't register it in the US, the NSA got there first.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pgiguere1 Avatar
165 months ago
I think these tech companies are going to get a huge shock when they enter the wearable accessories market ... I kind of wish Apple wouldn't be the first in on this one, let the competition make the mistakes and bring out a brilliant product further down the track.






There has been a variety of unsuccessful smartwatches in the past. Nothing major but the situation is similar to the iPad and the pre-iPad "tablet PCs".

If the past repeats itself again, competitors following Apple in the smartwatch trend should still make mistakes in their first iterations and take like 2-3 years to catch up. That's enough for Apple to make some $ and secure itself the advantages associated with a good marketshare for the future (large app selection, third party accessories, content deals)...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cuda12 Avatar
165 months ago
Currently, Apple largely targets these people who buy/wear $2,000 status symbols (and more realistically try $200,000+ status symbols). The iPhone is the absolute top of the range smartphone you can buy that has brilliant design and build quality. The iPhone is something celebrities and millionaires alike love to flaunt, because it's a stunning looking product. Same goes for all of Apple's current products.

These people love using iPods, iPads, iPhones, iMacs etc because they're the best things they can buy and they come with a sense of prestige. It's also why we all want the devices.

But I don't see Roger Federer walking around using his iPhone sporting the iWatch ... I think the iWatch is going to be targeting a very, very different audience than Apple's current target market and I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as successful because of this.
At least in the U.S., iPhones are not status symbols. Most middle-class people can afford them; they're nothing like high-end Rolexes.

And Apple targets average consumers, not millionaires and celebrities. They market themselves as the premium brand but not a luxury brand.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
165 months ago
Well...looks like...(puts on sunglasses)...we'll have to watch what happens.
YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Clubber Avatar
165 months ago
I wonder if the iWatch (watch as a verb) is the TV and the whole wrist thing (watch as a noun) was a massive curve ball thrown at the speculators. That'd be an awesome move. Not sure about an actual watch (as a noun) though, but I'll have to wait and see.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghsDUDE Avatar
165 months ago
If Apple does a good job at releasing this they'll be fine!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)