RE: Grill "trademarks"

["TJ" <tj@domain.elided>]

Ah yes, the question of trademark.  It's interesting how one company can
create a "brand" and then claim trademark infringement on things like
the number of slots or shape of a grill while at the same time Microsoft
could not do the same thing to a company that makes cleaner for
"Windows".

If you think this is bad, a few years ago, a certain American motorcycle
company (and I won't mention any names but our Alfas make more HP per
liter than the products from this same company) tried to trademark the
"sound" of its engines and their exhaust note.  They even went so far as
to try to trademark the sound of a "single crankthrow v-twin engine"
(oops, I think I just gave it away).

It's all about intellectual property and trademarks these days.  Just
try to get a domain name registered with your family name.  Someone
already has it.

Regards,
TJ

TJ Noto		AFM #134  	Cowpoke Racing-"Friends in Slow Places"
http://www.cowpokeracing.com
95 Ducati 916 Strada
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70 Norton Commando Fastback	
73 BMW 3.0 CS ("deviated from museum reliquary standard"-Perez)
97 BMW Z3 (Chela's)
77 Mercedes 280C (Mimosa)
67 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce	
00 Ford F150 Supercab		
87 Suzuki RG250 (For Sale!)
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-alfa@domain.elided [mailto:owner-alfa@domain.elided] On Behalf
Of
> Adam Doherty
> Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 1:08 PM
> To: alfa@domain.elided
> Subject: Grill "trademarks"
> 
> Joe Elliot said:
> 
> "I've wondered about this since I was little kid.  I realize that it's
> a moot point in the USA where Lancia doesn't have a presence, but can
> Mitsubishi really use Lancia's 'corporate grille' all over the world
> without any kind of legal action being taken?  It seems to me that
> grille design like that could be some sort of registered trademark.
> Wouldn't BMW sue them if they tried putting two chrome rectangles on
> the front of their cars?"
> 
> This is exactly what happened when Jeep/Chrysler/Daimler  sued (is
suing)
> "Hummer" over their 7-slot (?) grill config. over the past year.....
> 
> 
> --
> Adam S. Doherty
> Howard Hughes Medical Institute
> University of Pennsylvania-School of Medicine
> 360 CRB
> Curie Blvd
> Philadelphia, PA 19104   USA
> 
> Phone: 215-898-7806
> Fax: 215-898-8780
> Email: adoherty@domain.elided
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