Motorola Xoom hit with lawsuit regarding its name

The Xoom tablet is now ready for launch in the U.S. market, but Motorola seems to have overlooked the availability of the name “Xoom.” The San Francisco-based online payment company Xoom Corporation has recently filed a lawsuit against Motorola through the US District Court of North Carolina, as reported by TechEye. Xoom Corp. asks for Motorola to immediately cease branding of the new tablet with the Xoom moniker. The supposed trademark infringement is seen by Xoom Corp. as “willful and intentional conduct” and could cause “treble damages” should Motorola continue to advertise the tablet under the same name.

Xoom Corp. has been a registered business since early 2003 according to the filed complaint, which would mean that the corporation had rights to the Xoom name long before Motorola began marketing its Xoom tablet. Exactly how the lawsuit will affect the launch and sales of the new tablet remains unclear, as the outcome of the case is still a long ways off. However, the lawsuit and plain oversight of the Xoom name will definitely cause some headaches for Motorola.

The Motorola Xoom will officially retail for $800 with 3G capability, but only $600 for a WiFi-only version with a 2-year Verizon data plan. The tablet is now on sale through the Verizon Wireless online store.

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