Brazilian Electronics Company Revives Long-Running iPhone Trademark Dispute

Apple has been involved in a long-running iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, which was revived today by IGB Electronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics company that originally registered the "‌iPhone‌" name in 2000.

gradiente iphone white
IGB Electronica fought a multi-year battle with Apple in an attempt to get exclusive rights to the "‌iPhone‌" trademark, but ultimately lost, and now the case has been brought to the Supreme Federal Court in Brazil, according to Brazilian site Tecnoblog (via Reddit).

IGB Electronica under the name Gradiente produced a line of IPHONE-branded Android smartphones in Brazil in 2012, and there was a period of time where the Brazilian company was given exclusive rights to the ‌iPhone‌ trademark. That ruling didn't last, though, and Apple and IGB ultimately both wound up with rights to use the name in the country.

Apple has sought to prevent IGB from using the trademark, while IGB has been attempting to regain its exclusive access to the branding. A decision in 2018 upheld a 2013 ruling that gave both brands permission to use the trademark.

With the most recent lawsuit, IGB is aiming to reverse that 2018 decision, but the case could take years to get a ruling from the Supreme Federal Court in the country. IGB has been in judicial recovery since 2018 and has lost close to 1 billion Brazilian Reals, so the company may be hoping for a payout from Apple to end the dispute.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
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...
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...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

Piggie Avatar
75 months ago

This random company decided FIVE YEARS after the release of the iPhone that they wanted to sell a competing product in their domestic market with the exact same name?
No wonder they never won.
To be fair to them, the article says they had registered the iPhone name in the year 2000.

SEVEN YEARS Later, Apple introduces a product onto the market and decided to also call it iPhone.

The company who had the name Seven Years before got a bit miffed about the situation.
Can't really blame them can you?

What if Apple had the iPhone name registered 7 years earlier and then another company used the same name?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Emanuel Rodriguez Avatar
75 months ago
Sounds like they just wanted to give their lawyers something to do, tbh.

We're all a bit bored in these coronavirus days.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
praetorian909 Avatar
75 months ago
Let’s not forget Apple paid Cisco for the trademarked name iPhone, and they had IOS before as well
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boss.king Avatar
75 months ago
It's always funny when Apple fanatics lose their minds over other companies infringing on Apple's patents, trademarks, IP, etc, but when Apple does it to a smaller business then suddenly it's fair game and those small companies should just suck it up close up shop.

I don't understand how Apple hasn't lost this one yet. Just pay the company a ******** of money for rights to use it, they own the trademark fair and square.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SDJim Avatar
75 months ago
This random company decided FIVE YEARS after the release of the iPhone that they wanted to sell a competing product in their domestic market with the exact same name?
No wonder they never won.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vault Avatar
75 months ago
Looks like this dispute will be an excuse for many people to **** on a whole country, or even continent. Just wow.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)