Analysts: iPhone Trademark Dispute Likely To Be Resolved Quickly

According to MarketWatch.com, financial analysts and legal experts are expecting Apple's iPhone trademark dispute with Cisco to be resolved quickly, citing claims from Cisco that a deal was close before the lawsuit was filed.

"We expect an amicable resolution," Prudential Securities analyst Inder Singh wrote in a note to clients Thursday. "The most likely outcome, in our opinion, is for Cisco to be a net recipient of financial payment from Apple for use of the name."

Apple "has until May to sort this out and then ramp up marketing, so there is time," said Gene Munster, an Apple analyst with Piper Jaffray.

Brian Banner, an intellectual property attorney for Rothwell Figg expects both companies to be able to use the iPhone mark, using corporate branding as one method of sufficiently differentiating the devices.

"Cisco could easily use the iPhone mark accompanied by its logo, and Apple could add the Apple logo"