Manila, Philippines- Myphone, the first locally-branded mobile phones in the Philippines has won in a trademark dispute with multinational technology company Apple Inc.

In a decision rendered on May 19, 2015, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) BLA ruled in favour of Solid Broadband Corp., the company behind Myphone.

The IPO BLA described Apple as “a giant trying to claim more territory than what it is entitled to, to the great prejudice of a local ‘Pinoy Phone’ merchant who has managed to obtain a significant foothold in the mobile phone market through the marketing and sale of innovative products under a very distinctive trademark.”

In 2009, Apple filed a case against Solid Broadband Corp., alleging that the Myphone mark is confusingly similar to their iPhone mark which can cause deception and confusion.

But the IPO found the competing marks, Myphone and iPhone to have no absolute confusing similarity ruling that “While the marks are similar with respect to the word (‘phone’), it is not sufficient to conclude that confusion among the consumers is likely to occur. ‘Phone’ is a generic term for mobile phones products.”, and that given the fame and popularity of iPhone, it is highly doubtful for anyone to confuse it to a MyPhone product.