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Apple sued over use of 'Mighty Mouse' name

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is being sued by a computer accessory company over its use of the name "Mighty Mouse." No -- it's not CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) suing the computer maker due to its pilfering of a name for a cartoon character, but an accessory maker. Oh wait -- CBS is being sued, too. Oh, the insanity.

A company names "Man and Machine" (droll, yes?) is suing CBS for licensing the term Might Mouse to Apple for use in its iMac computers. The Mighty Mouse, if you have not seen it, is a very neat concept on the standard computer mouse. It has two buttons that you can't see (but which react due to pressure), and a small trackball meant to be used by the computer user's index finger.

The beef is that Man and Machine already uses the term Mighty Mouse for some waterproof and chemical-resistent computer mice it sells to labs and hospitals. Since there is some confusion here about consumers or hospital users using one Mighty Mouse or the other (yes, I'm kidding), it seems to me that this case has no merit.

Although the term in question is used by a computer mouse maker, the market which it serves is vastly different and disconnected from Apple's consumer and business focus for its same-named computer mouse. I wonder if the court will see it that way? Apple won't settle this one, and it shouldn't.

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Last updated: July 24, 2008: 05:03 PM

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