While the iPhone moniker is one known to many people as being a product from Apple, in some parts of the world that isn’t true. For example in Brazil, the iPhone is actually a competing product as the trademark to the name was filed way before Apple launched the device. Now it looks like Apple could face another trademark battle in India over the “iFon” name.

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According to reports, an Indian firm called iVoice Enterprise is challenging the iPhone trademark, claiming that it sounds too similar to their “iFon” trademark and that the launch of Apple’s iPhone destroyed any chance of their product from getting off the ground. The company’s managing director V.P. Balaji claims that investors and partners pulled out their support upon the iPhone’s launch.

“The manufacturing and design of the phones were to be outsourced to companies in China and Taiwan. As we wanted to bring out an affordable phone for people across the country, we named it India Phone (iFon),” he claims. He also asserts that the iPhone only made its way into India in 2009, versus 2007 which was when the company was founded.

The company is now petitioning India’s Intellectual Property Appellate Board in hopes of getting the iPhone name removed from the registry. Will they be successful in their attempts? Well the Brazilian company was, so perhaps iVoice might have a chance as well.

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