Apple, the Cupertino, California based tech giant, filed in Japan for a trademark for their phrase “iWatch.” This is amidst rumors that Apple will soon be launching a smartwatch around the world.
The application for the trademark was filled on June 3 at the Japan Patent Office for a broad range of different product categories that includes computer, GPS devise, computer peripheral and voice recognition.
The trademark application became public in late June, and the office is still reviewing the application, a process that could take months to complete.
An Apple spokesperson was not immediately available for comment at the time of publishing.
Earlier in June, a news site in Russia reported that the company had filed for its trademark for iWatch in Russia.
Several pending patents in the U.S. including one for a flexible display and a curved battery add to the idea that they are working on a device that is watch-like.
Sony announced last week its latest SmartWatch, a device that is water-resistant with NFC. The new watch is mainly a peripheral for a phone, which syncs via Bluetooth and shows alerts for specific services such as Twitter, Facebook and email. The watch can download apps and watch faces that are customized.
Samsung is also said to be working on its own smart watch, along with other smaller startups.
