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Touch Bar or Magic Toolbar? 

 October 26, 2016

By  Trademark Ninja

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Damnit Apple

You just had to go and do it, didn’t you.

I was feeling all smug after successfully predicting Paint 3d, the Surface Studio and Surface Dial, and looking forward to Apple’s event tomorrow….

And then Apple went ahead with it’s registration for “Touch Bar” and threw the “Magic Toolbar” name into question.

Feck ye anyway (as we would say in Ireland)

So, history lesson:

06 September 2016

I predicted that Apple were going to Announce the Touchbar and Smart Button along with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and some other stuff.

I speculated then that ‘touchbar’ might be the name of the OLED strip that was rumoured for the new Macbook Pro range.

I was right about the iphones, the Beats headphones, the Airpods and the Airpods case, but there was no mention of the other stuff.

Back then I explained a little bit about the Paris Convention and the 6 month priority and gave the dates by which Apple would have to apply globally for the Secret trademarks they had registered in Jamaica.

This is the important bit:

Apple Touchbar Trademark Application

Because of the date Apple applied for their trademarks in Jamaica, to keep their priority for those trademarks globally, they would have to apply globally before the second date you see.

So you’ll see Touch Bar had to be applied for today (and ‘Breath’ and ‘Smart Button’) on or before the 28th

Apple’s event falls on the 27th, between the two. And there was a lot of discussion about why it was moved from a rumoured or reported initial date of the 28th.

My rationale was that if they held it on the 28th, they would have to apply for Smart Button Globally and everyone would see it (because I would tell them) and it would effectively confirm this was ‘a thing’

19 October 2016

I report on findings I have made that I believe link trademark applications for ‘Magic Toolbar’ to Apple, and speculate that the OLED strip that replaces the function keys on the Macbook Pro Range will be called the ‘Magic Toolbar’

The Global media picks up on this, and it is widely shared. I feel pretty smug

25 October 2016

Microsoft announce Paint 3D, Surface Studio and Surface Hub, confirming what I had exclusively predicted. I can’t contain my smugness.

25 October  2016 10:23pm GMT

Apple throw the cat among the pigeons and apply for trademark in Europe for ‘Touch Bar’

I feel slightly less smug

Apple Touchbar Trademark Details

You can see the full details here

So that’s back on the table.

I think the boys at Apple have just done that to spite me, frankly.

Worse still, there’s also been a trademark application Israel for it:

Apple Touch Bar Israeli Trademark Application 1 Apple Touch Bar Israeli Trademark Application 2

What Does This Mean?

Well I think it probably means you shouldn’t bet the house on the strip being called the ‘Magic Toolbar’

But if you have many houses and are a big gambler, I’d still put ONE of them on “Magic Toolbar”

Why so?

The Global Trademark effort for ‘Magic Toolbar’ was a more extensive affair, and more complete, it was more secretive, and it was more covert.

Also, it’s already the 26th of October in Australia (G’day mates), and Apple haven’t applied for ‘Touch Bar’ as a trademark there yet, as far as I can see.

So, I’m sticking with Magic Toolbar personally, but don’t shoot me if it ends up being called the “Touch Bar”

Trademark Ninja


I'm A Ninja. You know, Ninja Stars, Ninja Nunchucks, all that sort of good stuff. I'm dispensing truth and justice Ninja Style.....in a very civilised and non-litigious kind of way. Unless you make the Ninja angry, then KARATE-CHOP! Fine, fine. I'm not a Ninja. I'm Brian Conroy, Trademark Agent and Solicitor in Dublin Ireland. Find me (in non Ninja form) at www.brianconroy.com

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