UK Firm Telling Companies to Stop Using the Term 'Netbook'
UK Firm Telling Companies to Stop Using the Term 'Netbook'
Posted 12/26/2008 at 8:42am
| by Paul Lilly
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According to jkOnTheRun, a UK law firm representing Psion Teklogix has begun sending out cease & desist letters to various websites demanding that the sites stop using the term 'netbook.' The trademark attorney whose John Hancock appears on the letters claims that Psion retains full rights to the term based on a pair of laptops the company used to sell called the netBook and netBook Pro. In the letter, Langley says companies "inadvertently mis-using" the term have until the end of March 2009 to comply.
"Psion places significant value on its trademark registrations and your use of the term 'netbook' could damage those registrations," Peter Langley, a trademark attorney writes. "We are therefore asking you to cease use of the term 'netbook.'"
Psion may have a tough time enforcing its cease & desist order, as the company no longer sells either the netBook or netBook Pro, and the term 'netbook' has been widely adopted all across the web to describe a low power sub-notebook. Moreover, it was Intel, and not enthusiast sites, who reintroduced the term. Intel's Atom platform dominates the netbook landscape, and the chip maker even purchased the netbook.com domain, which currently redirects to Intel.com.
Do you think Psion will prevail in protecting the term netbook? Hit the jump and post your thoughts.
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surefire flashlights
December 01, 2010 at 1:04am
Hey the post is really very interesting and informative, thanks for putting it up...surefire flashlights
galco holsters
October 13, 2010 at 2:00am
Oh , this is quite surprising, cant we seriously use that word ?galco holsters
mukul
August 15, 2010 at 1:25pm
I think NETBOOK will remove in future. For maintaining good quality we have to contain some requirement. Term of netbook is expanded.
<a href="http://www.cleanngone.co.uk//" rel="new tab">carpet cleaning</a>
Keith E. Whisman
December 29, 2008 at 12:40am
Well Psion does not have a case. They have no products that have that name and the use of this name cannot negatively affect Psion financially. Since this is a trademark for a product that no longers exsists then I see no reason why the name can't enter the public domain and used as a description of a product standard. In fact Psion is just trying to make money off this like anyone else would but that doesn't mean they are right.
Spider-Mom
December 28, 2008 at 1:16am
These idiot UK law firms shoot out fake law suits like spam mail. There should be laws against this as well. Its no different than the emoticon debacle. Even if these stupid things did go thru a court good luck enforcing it! No one is going to fall for that crap even if these so called CRs were upheald in some UK court.
Its a spamsuit and should be looked upon with no more regard than the digital waste in your junk folder.
Phated1
December 27, 2008 at 5:53am
it seems like lawyers are just facerolling nowadays in hopes of getting a decent lawsuit going. guess they cant sue mcdonalds anymore since all the cups say "caution:hot" on them now.
yugiah
December 26, 2008 at 3:37pm
Wow, now all of a sudden they perk up when it becomes widely used by various companies. Why not say something BEFORE the word goes mainstream? Oh wait, that would mean less chances for lawsuits... and we can't have that now can we?
Utter bullshit.
bcweir
December 26, 2008 at 10:09am
Get in line behind Rambus, Monster Cable, and Xerox (remember when they tried to trademark the word xerox when used to describe the act of photocopying). Can you say "snowballs chance in hell?"
Keith E. Whisman
December 29, 2008 at 12:54am
Like the Ditto machine back in the 70's brought about the term Ditto as in I agree fully with you. Ditto machine was an old copy machine from back when I was a kid.
nekollx
December 26, 2008 at 8:56am
probably not
Public jargon is a powerful force to resist but legaly they have to try
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