Since April Apple legal has begun to include specific types of products like smartglasses, head mounted displays, virtual and augmented reality displays and the like to updated trademarks that could be associated with a new class of iDevice or iDevice peripheral. Thus far Apple has added these descriptors to trademarks covering the Mac Pro, iMac Pro and ARKit (figurative TM). This week the Hong Kong Trademark Office database shows us that Apple has updated their figurative trademark for 'iCloud.' It too now lists smartglasses and the like associated with iCloud.

As you review the international class 09 verbiage listed further below, note the context that the headsets fall under, such as "wearable digital electronic devices capable of providing access to the Internet …" or "computer software for setting up, configuring, operating and controlling …" Apple is not leaving anything to chance by blindly listing "smartglasses" and leaving it at that. No, Apple meticulously lists the real-world applications that these new devices will be used in or associated with and protects the trademark accordingly. This is clearly an intended trend that is likely to continue as time goes on with the appropriate trademarks.

Apple's Hong Kong Application In-Part for the Figurative Version of their 'iCloud' Trademark

International Class 09:

Computers; computer hardware; handheld computers; tablet computers; telecommunications apparatus and instruments; telephones; mobile telephones; smartphones; wireless communication devices for the transmission of voice, data, images, audio, video, and multimedia content; network communication apparatus; handheld digital electronic devices capable of providing access to the Internet and for the sending, receiving, and storing telephone calls, electronic mail, and other digital data; wearable computer hardware; wearable digital electronic devices capable of providing access to the Internet, for sending, receiving and storing of telephone calls, electronic mail, and other digital data; smartwatches; smartglasses; home automation hubs; smart rings; wearable activity trackers; connected bracelets [measuring instruments]; electronic book readers; computer software; computer software for setting up, configuring, operating and controlling computers, computer peripherals, mobile devices, mobile telephones, smartwatches, smartglasses, wearable devices, earphones, headphones, televisions, set top boxes, audio and video players and recorders, home theater systems, home automation hubs, and entertainment systems; application development software; computer game software; computer software for use in uploading, downloading, storing, backing up, transmitting, receiving, accessing, retrieving, managing, organizing, and synchronizing data, email, documents, images, audio, video, multimedia content, electronic publications, computer files and other computer software; computer software for tracking the location of mobile digital electronic devices; computer software for use in accessing the Internet or other computer or communications networks; computer programs for information management; electronic mail and messaging software; database synchronization software; database management software; computer software for word processing, for calendar and meeting scheduling, for online document collaboration and storage, for viewing and organizing audio-visual content such as music, video and photos, for online sharing of digital content; computer software for working as an operating system for integrating and aggregating online software applications and data; downloadable pre-recorded audio, video and multimedia content; computer peripheral devices; peripheral devices for computers, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, earphones, headphones, televisions, set top boxes, and audio and video players and recorders; wearable peripherals for use with computers, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, smart rings, earphones, headphones, televisions, set top boxes, and audio and video players and recorders; biometric identification and authentication apparatus; accelerometers; altimeters; distance measuring apparatus; distance recording apparatus; pedometers; pressure measuring apparatus; pressure indicators; monitors, display screens, head mounted displays, and headsets for use with computers, smartphones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smart watches, smartglasses, televisions, set top boxes, and audio and video players and recorders; virtual and augmented reality displays, goggles, controllers, and headsets; 3D spectacles; eyeglasses; sunglasses; spectacle lenses; optical glass; optical goods; optical apparatus and instruments; cameras; flashes for cameras; keyboards, mice, mouse pads, printers, disk drives, and hard drives; sound recording and reproducing apparatus; digital audio and video players and recorders; audio speakers; audio amplifiers and receivers; motor vehicle audio apparatus; voice recording and voice recognition apparatus; earphones; headphones; microphones; televisions; television receivers and monitors; set top boxes; radios; radio transmitters and receivers; user interfaces for on-board motor vehicle computers and electronic devices, namely electronic control panels, monitors, touchscreens, remote controls, docking stations, connectors, switches, and voice-activated controls; global positioning systems (GPS devices); navigational instruments; navigation apparatus for vehicles [on-board computers]; remote controls for controlling computers, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, earphones, headphones, audio and video players and recorders, televisions, set top boxes, speakers, amplifiers, home theatre systems, home automation hubs, and entertainment systems; wearable devices for controlling computers, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, smart watches, smartglasses, earphones, headphones, audio and video players and recorders, televisions, set top boxes, speakers, amplifiers, home theatre systems, home automation hubs, and entertainment systems; data storage apparatus; computer chips; batteries; battery chargers; electrical and electronic connectors, couplers, wires, cables, chargers, docks, docking stations, and adapters for use with computers, mobile telephones, handheld computers, computer peripherals, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, earphones, headphones, audio and video players and recorders, televisions, and set top boxes; interactive touchscreens; interfaces for computers, computer screens, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, televisions, set top boxes, and audio and video players and recorders; protective films adapted for computer screens, mobile telephone screens, and smartwatch screens; parts and accessories for computers, computer peripherals, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, earphones, headphones, audio and video players and recorders, televisions, and set top boxes; covers, bags, cases, sleeves, straps and lanyards for computers, mobile telephones, mobile electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, smartwatches, smartglasses, earphones, headphones, set top boxes, and audio and video players and recorders; selfie sticks; chargers for electronic cigarettes.

International Class 39:

Electronic storage of data, text, images, audio and video; storage services for archiving electronic data; information provided in connection with the aforesaid services.

International Class 42:

Scientific and technological services and research and design relating thereto; industrial analysis and research services; design and development of computer hardware and software; computer hardware and software consulting services; information relating to computer hardware or software provided on-line from a global computer network or the Internet; multimedia and audio-visual software consulting services; computer programming; support and consultation services for developing computer systems, databases and applications; creating and maintaining websites featuring technology that enables users to access stored data, images, audio, video and documents; hosting websites of others featuring technology that enables users to access stored data, images, audio, video, and documents; providing search engines for obtaining data via communications networks; creating indexes of computer network-based information, sites, and other resources available on global computer networks for others; application service provider (ASP) services featuring computer software; application service provider (ASP) services featuring computer software to enable uploading, posting, showing, displaying, sharing or otherwise providing electronic media or information over the Internet or other communications network; application service provider (ASP) services featuring software for authoring, downloading, transmitting, receiving, editing, extracting, encoding, decoding, displaying, reviewing, storing and organizing data, multimedia, text, graphics, images, audio files, video files, electronic games and electronic publications; application service provider (ASP) services featuring software for use in connection with online music subscription service; application service provider (ASP) services featuring software that enables users to play and program music and entertainment-related audio, video, text, and multimedia content, and software featuring musical sound recordings, entertainment-related audio, video, text and multimedia content; providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software for information management, for creating spreadsheets, tables, graphs and charts and for organizing and analyzing data, for word processing, for creation and display of presentations including text and graphics, for electronic mail, calendar and meeting scheduling, for desktop publishing, for project management, business planning, business financial management, for online document collaboration, storage and editing services, for viewing and organizing audio-visual content such as music, video and photos, for online sharing of digital content, for developing and testing new computer software, and for integrating and aggregating existing online services; information, advisory, and consultancy services relating to all the aforesaid.

Do you remember the Gorilla Arm Syndrome Argument against Macs with a Touch Display?

Starting in and around 2010 there was a debate as to whether Apple would ever use touch displays on MacBooks and iMacs. Wired magazine dedicated an article to this very topic.

In 2014 Apple's SVP Software Craig Federighi dropped the guillotine on the iMac Touch that they patented. In November Apple's SVP Worldwide Marketing warned of the evils of touch displays on Macs.

Microsoft took advantage of Apple's stance on this feature with their Surface Book – and if they ever get the price of the notebook down to where consumers can afford it, they just might have a hit on their hands with their tablet/notebook hybrid.

On their Surface Studio, touch displays makes a lot of sense for artists and architects. I really love their design but it adds anywhere from $1000 to $1200 to the price tag. So for practical reasons, touch displays on a desktop puts the price out of reach for the mass market.

So why am I bringing this up now? Well, in context with Apple's introduction to augmented reality they had Wingnut AR come up on stage and demo ARKit in action in a new AR game as you can see in the video at the end of this report. It was a jaw dropping demo to be sure. But as you'll notice below, one of the Wingnut AR team members is holding up an iPad to play this mind numbingly cool AR game.

Now if the odd use of a touch screen on a MacBook or iMac is said to cause "gorilla arm syndrome," then surely holding up an iPad to play a game for hours is a superior case for avoiding this syndrome at all costs. If Apple is consistent with their theories, then playing an AR game with an iPhone should be played with the iPhone in a headset like the Gear VR to make sense. This would allow the user to hold a game controller in their hand or hands as well.

While Apple could deliver smartglasses for more sophisticated AR applications down the road, they should introduce a simple "peripheral" based headset when introducing the new iPhone this fall so that early adopters don't experience gorilla arm when playing AR games.

Today's iCloud trademark specifically covers such an application for a headset peripheral. So here's to hoping that Apple's marketing guru and software VP will be consistant with their argument of gorilla arm and deliver such a device later this year.  

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