Computing giants Apple have lost a case in front of the Australian intellectual property office 'IP Australia'.

An Australian company Wholesale Central filed an application for 'DOPi' which you will notice is 'iPod' backwards. Apple tried to stop the application on the basis of the use of the 'i'. You will no doubt be aware of the number of 'i' products that Apple have out on the market, for example iMac, iPod, iTunes and iPhone.

IP Australia decided that there are also a large number of non-Apple marks used for electrical goods with the 'i' prefix. As a result they decided that Apple do not have the exclusive right to use it.

This seems the only sensible decision that IP Australia could have made. However I doubt that this will stop Apple from looking to police the use of the 'i' prefix in other jurisdictions.