Star Psion Defends "Netbook" Trademark
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 20th Feb 2009 16:41 UTC
Law and Order I recently joked that we might want to rename OSNews to CourtNews, and with each passing day that silly joke seems to become less silly. This week, it became clear that Psion Teklogix, the company behind various small computing devices back in the '90s, has started an all-out legal offensive to prohibit other companies from using the term "netbook".
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RE[4]: Cyber bullying
by B. Janssen on Sat 21st Feb 2009 15:33 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Cyber bullying"
B. Janssen
Member since:
2006-10-11

Very few of the manufactures NAMED their product "netbooks" because it hadn't really dawned on them. Most of the use is on websites or catalog pages looking for something to summarize the category of devices.


I agree, Psion cannot forbid the colloquial use of a term. You and me, we can continue to use the term in any way we like. Newssites and catalogies may do so, too, as long as they are not referencing a specific product. Psion, however, can forbid that other companies in the same segment use the term -- in fact they have to, or loose the rights.

Psion's product was forgotten long ago. Sure, it might be sold in one part of Southeast Asia, but that's not the American market, or the market that includes people starting websites about the devices. As soon as the devices started appearing they should have been advertising their product too... but they don't have one.


The WIPO might disagree with this position, Madrid process and all... ;)

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