As expected, 3Com Corp’s Palm Computing Inc division is taking legal action against Microsoft Corp over the use of the software giant’s ‘Palm PC’ name. Palm Computing said when Microsoft unveiled the Windows-CE based devices in January that it was considering legal action over the name because it sounds to similar to its own PalmPilot device (CI No 3,322). But at the moment, the suit only relates to Germany and Italy, the reason being that 3Com wants to stop similarly named products being launched at a trade show in Germany later in the month by Microsoft’s partners. Microsoft group manager of mobile devices, Roger Gulrajani told Computergram last month at the European launch of the Palm PC that he couldn’t understand why 3Com would want to take legal action because when the PalmPilot was named, the logo displayed a palm tree, and not a hand as implied by the Microsoft offering (CI No 3,345). But Palm Computing president Donna Dubinsky told the Wall Street Journal this week that the Palm PC name will cause confusion with the PalmPilot, and Palm Computing wants to be able to compete on a level playing field. Palm Computing and 3Com have also filed suits against Casio Computer Co Ltd, one of the manufacturers who will market the devices, in Germany. Microsoft has signed OEM agreements with a number of hardware companies as well as Casio, including Samsung Electronics America Inc and Philips Electronics North America Corp. It remains to be seen whether there will be further suits filed against such operations, and more importantly whether the case will be applied to devices sold in the US. The fact that Palm Computing refuses to comment on whether legal action will reach the US, suggests that it will.
