Apple Applies to Control iPhone5.com

[Maura]

MacRumors reports that Apple has filed to gain control over the domain name iPhone5.com with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Having received Apple’s filing, the powers that be at WIPO are looking to see if Apple’s claim fits in with regulations, with proceedings likely to start very soon. According to MacRumors, iPhone5.com is at present a small discussion forum about the iPhone 5, which has been running since October 2010. MacRumors says that the move by Apple to control the domain runs contrary to Apple’s previous habits of controlling domains relating to specific products somewhat after the fact, with it not getting control of iPhone4.com, for example, until almost a year after the iPhone 4 was released, and the same goes for the iPhone 4S, with Apple only gaining control of iPhone4S.com a few weeks after the iPhone 4S went on sale. The main reason why Apple doesn’t buy up relevant domain names before the product goes on sale is obviously to avoid revealing the new device’s name before it has been officially launched, so why would Apple then go against previous practice and buy iPhone5.com if that is to be the name of the next iPhone? Could this move by Apple actually point to the fact that the next iPhone will not be called iPhone5 after all?

Source: Apple Seeks to Gain Control of iPhone5.com Domain - Mac Rumors