An updated filing with the USPTO shows Apple has added video files to the Goods and Services description in the iPod trademark record.
There’s somethin’ happenin’ here
And what it is ain’t exactly clear…
Buffalo Springfield recorded ‘For What It’s Worth’ about 40 years ago. In 2001, Apple filed for a trademark on the term “iPod” and partially described it as “Portable and handheld digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, and audio files;”.
Engadget points out that Apple has submitted a revised description back in June, with something new in Goods and Services: “handheld digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, manipulating, and reviewing text, data, audio, image, and video files;”
(The USPTO site doesn’t offer a permalink to trademark searches. Go to the site, click on Search under Trademarks, search on “iPod”, and look at serial numbers 78653661 and 78089144.)
So what are a couple of extra words worth? Possibly a new iPod before the holidays, capable of supporting video, available for convenient download from the iTunes Music Store. Or perhaps Media Store instead?
Video for the small screen can work. Nintendo was stuffing Johnny Bravo into cartridges for the GameBoy Advance well before Sony dropped the PSP on the crowd, along with its UMD-format movies (available separately, see store for details.)
Apple’s engineers definitely have the smarts to make it work. And Steve Jobs has a new friend in Disney top-man Robert Iger, who certainly could have the studio people scrape together some content to help spur interest.
Like other tech companies, Apple has to get something new to market at intervals to maintain its revenue stream. Sales of the iPod have begun to flatten; Apple pays at least 70 cents of every single it sells on iTunes to a music label, probably more to the major players, and that’s out of 99 cents.
Apple recently sold its 500 millionth song. That’s $495 million at 99 cents each; knock off 70 cents per, and the figure comes down to $145 million leftover for the tea kitty in Cupertino. Another digital media revenue stream would certainly help, especially if Apple can get better terms.
That path may be lit with the glow of a million video iPods under Christmas trees in 2005.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
