While we all await the launch of the new iWatch/Apple Time/iTime/WatchPad/Time-o-Sphere from Apple, there's one company in Athlone who were ahead of the curve, at least when it came to naming rights.
A few years ago, back in 2008, a company called Probendi based in Athlone developed an app for their clients which they called 'iWatch', where the watch was a verb, rather than a noun.
That's not all that important to the patent office, as Probendi and the man who owns it, Daniele Di Salvo, successfully registered the name and are in possession of the patent for the name 'iWatch', meaining Apple can't use it to brand their device in line with the rest of their products, such as the iPad and iPod.
Speaking to Newstalk, Di Salvo wouldn't be pushed on whether Apple had contacted him, but that one major manufacturer from China had been in touch about selling some hardware under that name, but wouldn't be able to divulge anymore than that.
Athlone 1-0 Apple.
Via Newstalk
