Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!bstempleton From: bstempleton@watmath.UUCP (Brad Templeton) Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.misc Subject: xxx is a trademark of yyy Message-ID: <5423@watmath.UUCP> Date: Sun, 19-Jun-83 00:19:38 EDT Article-I.D.: watmath.5423 Posted: Sun Jun 19 00:19:38 1983 Date-Received: Sun, 19-Jun-83 04:45:56 EDT Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 19 Keywords: trademark You do not need to worry about "Guru" being a trademark, in particular because it is a normal word. Trademark law is very tricky, but as I understand it, a trademark has to be an adjective, and can never be a noun. This means that there is no such thing as "Unix". There is the "Unix operating system", where the word is an adjective. Companies wanting to keep their TMs make sure they refer to things like "Frisbee BRAND discs" and never "Frisbees", because there is no such thing as a frisbee. The reason for this distinction is clear. When you trademark something, you claim use of the adjective as it refers to a certain noun or class of nouns. Nothing stops me from bringing out "Apple" brand hand-soap even though there is a registered trademark for Apple brand computers. If a word is invented like UNIX, I am not sure of the rules. Some day it might be possible to come out with Unix brand soda-pop. ("Nothing goes down easier than Unix Soda") but I am not sure of that now. -- Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ont. (519) 886-7304