Apple Inc battles trademark sleuths bent on revealing names of latest gadgets

Washington

ONE of Apple's most fiercely guarded secrets? The name of the next iPhone. It's known that the device will launch later this year, complete with a stainless steel and glass body, a better screen and a speedy 3-D sensor that recognises your face. It may be called the iPhone X, to celebrate the iconic product's 10th anniversary, or maybe just iPhone 8. But Tim Cook doesn't want us to know for sure until he utters the name on stage.

In recent years, Apple-obsessed sleuths have managed to ferret out the names and details of the company's products by searching trademark offices around the world. But their challenge has become exponentially harder, thanks to a well-timed rule change at Jamaica's trade…