Intel Psion Deal Official

Intel today confirmed previous rumors that it had reached a settlement with Psion over the use of the term "netbook." An official for the semiconductor company told the Register that the two have struck an agreement out of court but hasn't said what the terms of the deal would be. An earlier tip had suggested Psion had agree to waive any trademark claims to the word "netbook."

Psion hasn't presented its view of the deal. It's also uncertain whether Dell's trademark dispute with Psion has also been put to an end as a result of the apparent truce.

The fight was spurred earlier this year by Psion's sudden revived claims of ownership to the term "netbook," which forced certain fan websites to change their names and put pressure on PC builders to change their descriptions or else risk legal threats. Although Psion officially halted sales of the NetBook Pro in 2003 and lists it today as a "discontinued" product, it has until now claimed that it was still selling the system to companies in private channels. Intel has argued that Psion's claim was false.

A Psion win would have forced any company producing a netbook to either license the use of the term or else switch to a different term; many have preemptively changed system descriptions to refer to "mini notebooks." Apple for its part has chosen to remain out of netbooks altogether and has assigned negative connotations to the name, suggesting it represents "junky" hardware and a poor experience overall.

By Electronista Staff