As stated in the explanation iPad mini name hardly describes the features or characteristics of the product. Also, the patent office did not like Apple's explanation of the application or submitted materials from the Web, which are characterized in the rejection as marketing materials.
The company has right until 24th of July to submit an amended application for registration of the name, and they have to describe in exactly what the term iPad mini is different from the already registered name iPad. Neverminding these problems, Apple still managed to sell 22.9 million copies of iPad and iPad minis in the last quarter.
[Ed – Although this is a setback it is fairly small compared to the number of patents and trademarks that have been granted to Apple that should not have been. In this case the Trademark was simply not viable so it was rejected. Now if the USPTO wants to show us something they can perform an administrative review of all of Apple's patent with a proper search for Prior Art. This should be done anyway on any patent that Apple has used to stifle competition, but we have a feeling that something like this will never take place.]
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