T-Mobile grabs SnapPad trademark, domains

T-Mobile has suddenly become very interested in the word SnapPad. Within the span of just two days last week, the company filed for the trademark at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO, via Engadget) and also snapped up a bunch of related domain names.

More specifically, T-Mobile has registered SnapPad.biz, TMobileSnapPad.com, T-MobileSnapPad.com, T-MobileSnapPad.net, T-MobileSnapPad.org, T-MobileSnapPad.info, and T-MobileSnapPad.biz. Dynamite Inc currently appears to own SnapPad.com, which was registered in 2007, and TableTop Media owns SnapPad.net, which was registered in 2008. If T-Mobile tries to purchase either of them, it will only make us further think that the company is going to launch a product under the name SnapPad. Furthermore, in its filing, T-Mobile specifically asks for protection against other "tablet computers" that may end up trying to use the same name.

T-Mobile has already launched a tablet with its name on it: the LG Optimus Pad, also known as the T-Mobile G-Slate. We reviewed it, but readers didn't seem very interested.

It would appear that T-Mobile is going to try again. Currently, it's not clear whether the company is going to rebrand a tablet that has already been announced, or launch a completely new product. We're hoping for the latter, especially if it's some new form factor of a tablet that actually "snaps" one way or another. Otherwise, we think it would be a waste of the name. Unfortunately, that's all we know for now. There isn't even a launch timeframe that could give us a hint as to what T-Mobile has up its sleeve.