Now comes news that Apple and Cisco are finally at the negotiating table once again, with the lawsuit reportedly suspended pending the outcome of the talks.

Cisco’s detractors say they barely used the iPhone trademark since acquiring a company that owned it, and only started using it late last year in a last ditch attempt to hold onto the trademark rights.

Apple say their phone is a cellular phone, not a VoIP phone, and have said words to the effect that they feel confident of their chances in court in fighting for the iPhone name.

Of course Apple’s own actions in legally acting against some companies and websites that use the iPod name or use the word ‘pod’ in some way that Apple feels is infringing on their iPod trademark need to be remembered in this case as well.

The big dilemma reported so far is that what Cisco wants from Apple, Apple doesn’t want to give. This includes interoperability with Cisco equipment, allowing compatibility with the iTunes Fairplay DRM and other Apple hardware and software.

It would be interesting to find out if the Cisco/Linksys iPhone has had any real boost in sales given all the publicity, and whether or not other brands of VoIP phone have also seen any sales increase since the iPhone hoo-hah erupted after Steve Jobs’ keynote speech in early January – not traditionally the most active of sales periods in the year, given the huge Christmas outlays the month prior.

With the iPhone still six months away from release, there’s time for the drama to continue a little longer – but before long, decisions on packaging have to be set in stone for production to commence.

Given Apple’s battles with Apple Corps, the music company of the Beatles, which resulted in Apple having to call themselves Apple Computer – something that is now no longer in effect - and even an early battle over the Mac trademark against a company called McIntosh, which entailed a payout of US $2million, a much larger sum in terms of purchasing power back in the early 1980’s than it is today, Apple has had success in getting its own way, even if it has taken years as it did with the change to just Apple from Apple Computer.

Given Steve Jobs’ clear desire for the name iPhone, Apple is likely to get its way and have their own iPhone – despite any Cisco or Linksys iPhones on store shelves, with minimal concessions ultimately given up by Apple, and although there's no guarantee this will happen, the gut feeling of many is that Cisco will somehow find themselves outmaneuvered by Apple.

The public will surely know the difference between an Apple and a Cisco/Linksys iPhone anyway, if it comes to that, and any accidental purchases by well meaning but evidently clueless gift giving friends or relatives will surely find themselves returned to stores for a refund.

Given any breakthrough is likely still some time off, the Apple watching goes back to a widescreen iPod with iPhone stylings and multi-touch controls that could possibly be launched in a Superbowl commercial, along with upcoming launches of Mac OS X 10.5 and potential new Apple desktop and laptop models.

With 2007 said by Apple to be their biggest year yet, and indeed only just the beginning, the only new thing we’ve seen so far actually on shelves is new multicolored iPod Shuffles. Surely, the best is still yet to come.
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