Cisco, Apple Still at the Negotiating Table

For the second time since it filed suit against Apple last month, Cisco said late Thursday that it had agreed to give the Cupertino company another week to respond to the suit over the iPhone name.

Cisco sued Apple a day after it introduced the iPhone device, even though it had initially appeared as if the two sides were prepared to work out a deal. The networking equipment company acquired the trademark through its purchase of Infogear in 2000.

Infogear sold products under the 'iPhone' name for several years previous to the acquisition, and Cisco began selling a line of VoIP phones with the name beginning last year.

The new agreement gives Apple until next Wednesday, February 21, to respond to the suit. "Apple has asked Cisco for another extension on the deadline for Apple to respond to our lawsuit," it said in a statement. "Cisco is fully committed to using the extra time to reach a mutually beneficial resolution."

As part of any agreement to settle Cisco's claims, the company is not only looking to license the name out for the device, but also to allow the device to be interoperable with Cisco's products. An Apple spokesperson confirmed that both sides continued to discuss those issues.