Subject:
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Re: Lugnet for beginners
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 10 Mar 2000 06:48:23 GMT
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Viewed:
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670 times
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Moved to off-topic.debate
In lugnet.admin.general, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> Todd Lehman wrote:
>
> > Excellent! I didn't know Internet Exploiter had that. Here's one thing
> > I've
> > been experimenting with in Netscrape Navigator...
>
> You know, I know you don't like these tools. But they *are* trademarked
> names, and I feel you're diluting the trademark when you make fun of
> them. You seem to do it just about every time too. Just something to
> ponder.
>
> I work for a product company. It would be hypocritical of me to use
> pirated software, but expect my customers not to pirate my software. At
> least that's my opinion. Is there a parallel? You decide.
Huh? Maybe there's some facet of trademark law I'm unfamiliar with, but how is
*discussing* a product, even in negative terms, a trademark dilution?
Are you seriously suggesting that saying something negative (even as in a
parody) is somehow illegal? How is a review, even if contained to a two-word
succint phrase, a trademark dilution?
I would think a Libertarian would be a lot less quick to try to deny someone
the right to their fair say. ;D
And no, I don't think there's a parallel. Now, if Todd were making fun of your
product, and basically letting people know he doesn't like it, *then* there's
be a parallel... and I don't think that would be illegal (let's keep in mind
that I can't keep Larry's employers straight, so I have no idea who he works
for now vs who he's going to be working for in two weeks, so I have no idea
what it is his company makes).
eric
PS In another direction, I'd like to know what graphical browser Todd *does*
like, if not Netscape or MSIE.
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: Lugnet for beginners
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| (...) In the same way that calling Lego brand building blocks "legos" is trademark dilution. In the same way that calling facial tissue "Kleenex" is. Well, not precisely the same, because those usages probably aren't negative, just dilutive, but (...) (25 years ago, 10-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Lugnet for beginners
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| (...) Maybe it is this sort of thing that does dilute trademarks, like parents telling their kids to run off and play with legos. Lego can try to cure the problem by asking us to stop using their name that way (they really tried back around 1980.) (...) (25 years ago, 10-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | tm's and web browsers
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| (...) The parallel is that it's hypocritical for someone to openly bastardize other product names and not expect others to bastardize one's own names, or at least to preach non-bastardization of one's own names while openly bastardizing other names. (...) (25 years ago, 10-Mar-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Lugnet for beginners
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| (...) You know, I know you don't like these tools. But they *are* trademarked names, and I feel you're diluting the trademark when you make fun of them. You seem to do it just about every time too. Just something to ponder. I work for a product (...) (25 years ago, 10-Mar-00, to lugnet.admin.general)
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