Deep Dive, which was registered in 2017 by yet another shell firm, originally applied for the name in March in Switzerland. Registrations were recently extended to the United Kingdom, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Ukraine, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Canada, and the European Union. A law firm representing Deep Dive filed an opposition in September to an unrelated Chinese company’s March US trademark registration for the xrOS brand.
The shell business filed trademark applications for “head-mounted displays” and gadgets that enable “virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.” Last year, the same categories were utilised for the initial trademark of the term “realityOS.”
Apple’s traditional technique for building a brand is to trademark a name via a shell business in numerous different countries, however, the choice to begin in Switzerland is slightly out of character. Apple frequently registers trademarks in countries such as Jamaica, Liechtenstein, and Trinidad & Tobago, where public access to registrations is limited.
For example, Apple registered the name “Dynamic Island” for the iPhone 14 Pro in Jamaica. However, its applications for “Reality One” and “Reality Pro,” potential names for the headgear, are also visible online, as is the file for “realityOS.” According to sources familiar with the situation, Apple was behind the submissions in both instances.
Even said, there’s no assurance Apple won’t eventually use “realityOS” or another moniker as its consumer-facing brand.
