Deerfield Beach, Fla. — Oko International, the manufacturer of Android-brand watches and smart watches, is suing Sony over the Japanese company’s use of the word Android in combination with the words watch and smart watch in promoting a smart watch.
Oko, founded in 1991, owns the registered and common-law Android trademark for timepieces, watches, watch bands and smart watches, said sales director Iliana Tegov. “Sony’s publication of `Sony SmartWatch Android Watch,’ ‘Android Watch,’ and ‘Android Compatible Watch’ is an infringement on this trademark,” she said. The product itself is called the SmartWatch 2 without any reference to Android.
Last month, Oko launched a new Android-brand smart watch. Sony’s smart watch is officially called SmartWatch 2.
The suit, filed in the federal district court for the California Northern district, alleges trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition. “By using our registered and recognized trademarks in marketing their product, Sony has willfully caused harm to our brand and has caused confusion to the general public,” she claimed. “We are filing this lawsuit to defend our trademark and to seek damages that have resulted due to Sony’s trademark infringement.”
When it comes to the Android brand for watches, she said, “there are strict guidelines that must be followed.” The word Android, she said, “cannot be used in names for watches except by the express permission of the trademark owner, Oko. Instead, ‘for Android’ should be used when referring to the operating system.”
She cited a reference on Sony’s website as an example of a violation.