The UK’s ITV Isn’t Happy About Apple’s iTV

ITV says they’ve defended their IP in the past, and are likely to do so in the future.

When most folks heard that Apple was changing the name of the Apple TV to the iTV, the reaction was something along the lines of “well of course it is, why wouldn’t they?” If you happen to live in the UK though, you probably saw the issue quite quickly.

ITV is the oldest and longest running commercial television channel in Britain. It’s a well established channel and holds a pretty big piece of the British television market. Think of it as an ABC or CBS, but with accents and tea.

If Apple is planning on naming its new product the iTV, there’s going to be a bit of a fight. “ITV has a very strong brand, and a highly valued IP,” says ITV’s Mike Large. He also confirmed that the station has “vigorously defended” its name in the past.

There are options of course. Apple could rename the product for UK production, or ITV could license the name. Either way, it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

Source: Pocket Lint