Apple's 'iWatch' Trademarking Spree Also Includes Taiwan and Mexico [Updated]

In addition to filing for a trademark on the term "iWatch" in Russia and Japan on June 3, we have discovered that Apple filed for a trademark in Taiwan, which follows a report from 9to5Mac that Apple filed in Mexico as well, bringing the total number of trademark filings to four.

iwatchtaiwan

Apple's Taiwan Filing

In both iWatch trademark filings discovered today, Apple Inc. is listed as the company behind the requests and the company’s Infinite Loop address in Cupertino, California is included on the applications. The filing in Mexico was submitted via Mexico-based law firm Arochi, Marroquín, & Linder, S.C, which has worked with Apple on other product trademarks.

News of the iWatch, which is one possible name for Apple's rumored smart watch, first surfaced in late 2012 and was followed by a patent application for a wraparound-style “wearable video device” in February.

According to reports, Apple has a team of 100 product designers working on the watch, which may include a 1.5–2.0 inch OLED display along with biometrics, iPod nano touch technology, and the ability to interact with existing iOS devices.

While it has been suggested that Apple's smart watch could launch later this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has instead targeted a late 2014 release date for the iWatch, suggesting that Apple is not quite ready to ramp up production for a 2013 debut.

Update: Apple also appears to have filed for an iWatch trademark in Turkey through Pinar Arikan, an attorney who has worked with the company in the past. While the filing does not list Apple as the applicant, it was filed on the same June 3 date as the other applications.

iwatchturkey
Update 2: Apple has also filed for the mark in Colombia and Chile.

Update 3: A tipster has also pointed us to a filing in India, bringing the total number of international filings discovered so far to nine, including the original December 2012 application in Jamaica that Apple is using to establish priority.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

Rog210 Avatar
164 months ago
They couldn't register it in the US, the NSA got there first.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pgiguere1 Avatar
164 months ago
I think these tech companies are going to get a huge shock when they enter the wearable accessories market ... I kind of wish Apple wouldn't be the first in on this one, let the competition make the mistakes and bring out a brilliant product further down the track.
apples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico imageapples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico image
apples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico imageapples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico image
apples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico imageapples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico image
apples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico imageapples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico image
apples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico imageapples iwatch trademarking spree also includes taiwan and mexico image

There has been a variety of unsuccessful smartwatches in the past. Nothing major but the situation is similar to the iPad and the pre-iPad "tablet PCs".

If the past repeats itself again, competitors following Apple in the smartwatch trend should still make mistakes in their first iterations and take like 2-3 years to catch up. That's enough for Apple to make some $ and secure itself the advantages associated with a good marketshare for the future (large app selection, third party accessories, content deals)...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cuda12 Avatar
164 months ago
Currently, Apple largely targets these people who buy/wear $2,000 status symbols (and more realistically try $200,000+ status symbols). The iPhone is the absolute top of the range smartphone you can buy that has brilliant design and build quality. The iPhone is something celebrities and millionaires alike love to flaunt, because it's a stunning looking product. Same goes for all of Apple's current products.

These people love using iPods, iPads, iPhones, iMacs etc because they're the best things they can buy and they come with a sense of prestige. It's also why we all want the devices.

But I don't see Roger Federer walking around using his iPhone sporting the iWatch ... I think the iWatch is going to be targeting a very, very different audience than Apple's current target market and I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as successful because of this.
At least in the U.S., iPhones are not status symbols. Most middle-class people can afford them; they're nothing like high-end Rolexes.

And Apple targets average consumers, not millionaires and celebrities. They market themselves as the premium brand but not a luxury brand.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
164 months ago
Well...looks like...(puts on sunglasses)...we'll have to watch what happens.
YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Clubber Avatar
164 months ago
I wonder if the iWatch (watch as a verb) is the TV and the whole wrist thing (watch as a noun) was a massive curve ball thrown at the speculators. That'd be an awesome move. Not sure about an actual watch (as a noun) though, but I'll have to wait and see.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghsDUDE Avatar
164 months ago
If Apple does a good job at releasing this they'll be fine!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)