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Comment by adammunich | Hacker News Reader

Can they really trademark the name of an element? That seems absurd.

I don't see any real suggestion that they'd do so. Apple has referred to their hardware in developer documentation as "Apple Silicon" -- possibly to avoid trademark issues with ARM? -- but I expect them to use the same naming scheme they use for their iOS application processors (like "Apple A16X") once they have a product ready for market. MacWorld's use of phrases like "Apple's Silicon processor" is likely to just represent confusion on the part of the journalist.

As an aside, I have a very hard time believing that Apple would reenter the networking industry. Consumer wireless access points are a commodity product at this point -- it'd be difficult for Apple to present a compelling premium option, especially when many consumers are satisfied with the one that came built into their cable modem.

There is still one area of networking that isn't well solved, and that's captive wifi. A device that I can plug into the wall in a hotel or airport and magically have all my apple devices on the internet would be handy.

If they made an airport express that did that, I'd probably get it (once we can travel again).

I bought a cheap travel router from GL.INET which creates the same SSID as my home, and automatically establishes a VPN with my home. It can get its connectivity from an upstream WiFi, from an Ethernet port or from whatever (4g stick, mobile phone with usb tethering ability) you plug in its USB port.

It was all of 19 bucks IIRC.

Which home device/software is running the VPN server?

The endpoint is a Ubiquiti Edgerouter. I also have a pi behind it which acts as openvpn endpoint, with a port forward on the edgerouter

Apple’s HomeKit for routers integration isn’t being adopted very well so doing it themselves makes sense to me.

It works well with the Eero routers.

Plus, I seem to recall them disbanding that particular team…

> possibly to avoid trademark issues with ARM

I suspect it's more of a branding/positioning thing. ARM has an association with low power devices like smartphones, and Apple wants to position this as something new, exciting, and better than x86.

Apple Silicon encompasses more than the ARM CPU. It also includes an Apple GPU, Apple Neural Engine, Secure Enclave and more. If you only point to the ARM part you overlook most of the other parts of the chip. The CPU cores are like less than 25% of the layout?

Layout of the A12: https://cdn.iphoneincanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/A12...

I mean, by that logic, does calling a modern intel cpu x86 discount the integrated graphics, which are also very significant?

https://www.apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/trademark/...

Apple already trademarked "Carbon", and some others like: Aqua, Bonjour, Cocoa, Instruments, Logic, Metal, New York

What's next? A fruit name?

This trend of using "silicon" as a phrase for computing hardware is silly anyway.

I was super annoyed by it since I've read this marbleous piece of work in Windows Blog [0] years ago.

> Silicon innovation

> silicon partners

> silicon features

> silicon supported virtualization

> with a focus on Windows and silicon

and wait for it

> deep integration between silicon, platform, and hardware

At least nobody would be able to use it anymore without infringing if Apple has trademarked it.

[0] https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windo...

You can trademark "Apple Silicon" (both words together with caps)

a trademark is much different than a copyright or patent. It is only a brand name, and there are no requirements regarding the substantialness of the underlying thing to which it refers. Copyright has an extremely low bar, as well, but it has a bar. You could trademark the wheel if you wanted to, or your brand of the holy bible.

They already trademarked a fruit.

Yes: https://www.iridium.com/

I don't think they are going to call it just "Silicon", this article headline is the first time I've seen that used. It will be Apple Silicon, or something new entirely.

You can trademark ~anything but it might not stand up in court. Then again, who is going to take Apple to court? For them it's just cheap insurance.

You have to have the trademark approved, and they don't really care how big your company is, they will not approve a trademark for the word silicon. See: clothing brand Supreme's attempt to trademark their Supreme logo on a red background.

If apple combines the word with a unique logo or combines it with some other word, they can get the trademark, but you can't get it for the word silicon by itself.

Apple has a trademark on the word Apple in the computer space.

Yes, but silicon is a common word in tech.

"Windows" was a common word in tech, but Microsoft managed to get a trademark on that.

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