Apple Loses Bid to Sell Handsets as IPhones in Brazil

Apple Inc.’s request to use the iPhone name in Brazil was rejected by regulators who ruled in favor of a local competitor.

IGB Eletronica SA, the Brazilian electronics maker that applied to register the name in 2000 and won the rights to use it in 2008, continues to hold the trademark. IGB started selling its own iPhone model in December.

The institute responsible for granting trademarks, known as Inpi, issued the decision on its website today, seven years after Apple submitted its request.

Apple can use the iPhone name for other products, including clothing and pamphlets, Marcelo Chimento, a spokesman for Inpi, said in a Feb. 5 telephone interview.

IGB couldn’t be reached for comment. Amy Bessette, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christiana Sciaudone in Sao Paulo at csciaudone@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Ed Dufner at edufner@bloomberg.net