Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!cmcl2!rna!rocky2!reintom From: reintom@rocky2.UUCP (Tom Reingold) Newsgroups: comp.sources.d Subject: Re: VC Message-ID: <315@rocky2.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Jan-87 12:07:13 EST Article-I.D.: rocky2.315 Posted: Wed Jan 14 12:07:13 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 15-Jan-87 18:43:39 EST References: <455@sii.UUCP> <1532@kitty.UUCP> <452@gouldsd.UUCP> Organization: Rockefeller Univ.,N.Y.C 10021 Lines: 42 Summary: There may be respect due. In article <452@gouldsd.UUCP>, mjranum@gouldsd.UUCP (Marcus J Ranum) writes: > > In article <455@sii.UUCP>, drd@sii.UUCP (David Dick) writes: > > > 'vc' is a registered trademark of Software Innovations, Inc. for > > > our UNIX(R) spreadsheet. > > Gee, you *CAN'T* be using the letter 'c' in 'vc' !! That letter > was copyrighted a long time ago, and 'c' has been in use ever since. > For that matter, 'v' is probably a registered trademark of someone or > other. Be real ! > Maybe you're going to sue anyone who uses parts of the alphabet ? I have a slightly more moderate view than you do. I think that there is a place for trademarks and they should be respected but I also think that the rights of all trademarks should be enforced. Neither do I think that all trademarks are enforceable. I recently read in PC Week Magazine about a court case where Computer Land tried to sue Business Land because of the "Land" in their name. Business Land has a similar name and offers the same type of service as Computer Land and it was claimed that there could be confusion on the part of potential clients resulting in loss of business for Computer Land. As I hope you know, laws are often decided case by case, according to what seems appropriate at the moment, given the current circumstances. A given situation could be decided differently at different times. Well this judge saw this as ridiculous. He also had a sense of humor. He threw the case out, saying something like "What!? Next are you going to sue Disneyland?!" So "vc" may be a hard trademark to defend because it is short and so directly describes the programs purpose which is not a creation by the authors of the "vc" program. If it is registered, however, I might keep away from it. Their law suit, though improbable, could win, depending on the sense of humor (and other things) of those involved. -- Tom Reingold; The Rockefeller University; 1230 York Av; NY 10021 PHONE: (212) 570-7709 [office]; (212) 304-2504 [home] ARPANET: reintom@rockefeller.arpa BITNET: REINTOM@ROCKVAX UUCP: {seismo|ihnp4|yale|harvard|philabs|phri}!cmcl2!rna!rocky2!reintom