What’s in a name? That’s going to be for the courts to decide.

Nuvio, who is best known for its PBX phone systems, will soon be known for something else—slapping a lawsuit on Garmin.

The Nuvifone, which is Garmin’s new combo GPS/mobile phone, is a bit too close in name to Nuvio’s trademarked Nuvio phones.

“While we would have preferred to settle this without resorting to a lawsuit, we felt it was important to ensure that our customers and potential customers are not confused by someone abusing our legally protected trademark,” said Jason P. Talley, the company’s chief executive officer. “Our customers commonly refer to our service as the Nuvio phone.”

Nuvio wants Garmin to get rid of the Nuviophone name and also stop using the Nuvi name for any of its other products. They also want damages.

The Nuviophone combines GPS with calling and web browsing functions into a handheld touchscreen. It’s scheduled to be released by the end of 2008.

Via Electronista

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.