SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Cypress Semiconductor Corp. said that the European Union's trademark registry, the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), ruled against a firm now owned by Atmel Corp. in the touch-screen controller market.
The OHIM ruled that Quantum Research Group acted "contrary to honest practices in commercial matters" by trying to "impede" Cypress' attempt to register its CapSense trademark in the EU, according to San Jose-based Cypress.
The OHIM declared Quantum's registration of the CapSense mark in the EU invalid and ordered the company to bear the costs incurred by Cypress in its application to cancel Quantum's trademark, according to Cypress.
Quantum was acquired last year by San Jose-based Atmel. Atmel/Quantum is one of Cypress's competitors in the market for capacitive touch-sensing products. CapSense is the brand name and trademark of Cypress.
The OHIM further ruled that Quantum had prior knowledge of Cypress's use of the CapSense product name in the U.K. and other countries when Quantum registered the mark in 2007. The OHIM described the Quantum tactic as a "blocking" registration.
"What Quantum/Atmel couldn't win with their technology in the marketplace, they tried to obtain by unscrupulous means, manipulating the trademark system to prevent Cypress from using its own well-established commercial brand and superior intellectual property," said Cypress President and CEO T.J. Rodgers, in a statement. "We applaud the court for its decision, enforcing standards of common sense and fairness in the resolution of this case."
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