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SCOTT JAGOW: You might remember a while ago, Cisco Systems sued Apple Computer over the name iPhone. Today’s the deadline for Apple to respond. As Pat Loeb reports, the companies may try to settle this thing.

PAT LOEB: You might think a lowercase “i” in front of any word automatically belongs to Apple.

But in fact, Cisco has owned the name iPhone since 2000. That’s when it bought InfoGear, a company that trademarked the name for an Internet phone.

According to Cisco’s suit, Apple was well aware that Cisco owned iPhone, because it started trying to buy the name in 2001. Cisco thought it was still negotiating when Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s iPhone with great fanfare last month.

Cisco has twice extended the deadline for Apple to respond. Cisco spokesman John Noh.

JOHN NOH: Both companies are using the extra time to hopefully come to an agreement on trademark usage on the iPhone name and areas of interoperability, making the products and technologies of both companies work better with each other.

An Apple spokesman confirmed the two sides are talking.

In Los Angeles, I’m Pat Loeb for Marketplace.