tbrown 26 #1 July 26, 2006 Sanyo is now marketing a telephone called a Katana. It even has the same Japanese caligraphy Katana emblem as the beloved PD 9 cell THAT TOOK THE NAME FIRST (grrrrrrrrr.....). I hope PD sues the shit out of them for trademark infringement. Think of all the R&D a nice settlement could fund... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MF42 0 #2 July 26, 2006 While I don't know anything about trademark law or the Japanese language... Doesn't it seem likely that the calligraphy is simply "katana" written in Japanese? I doubt you can trademark that. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #3 July 26, 2006 Can we name our baby Katana and trademark her name? ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #4 July 26, 2006 Oh I bet you can, especially as in a culture like ours it's more of a design anyway. But as far as words go, try using a phrase like "Just Do It" and see how many minutes go by before somebody's knocking the door down to serve you papers. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grue 1 #5 July 26, 2006 only if she grows up to have a sharp tonguecavete terrae. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,377 #6 July 26, 2006 Hi tbrown, Uh, wasn't a Katana a motorcycle before it was a parachute? Jerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #7 July 26, 2006 Quote Uh, wasn't a Katana a motorcycle before it was a parachute And an aircraft and a sword.... ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MF42 0 #8 July 26, 2006 QuoteQuote Uh, wasn't a Katana a motorcycle before it was a parachute And an aircraft and a sword.... In the miserable ballsed-up crapfest that was Highlander II, the villain was General Katana. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #9 July 26, 2006 The important thing here is... WE know the difference! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squirrel 0 #10 July 26, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuote Uh, wasn't a Katana a motorcycle before it was a parachute And an aircraft and a sword.... In the miserable ballsed-up crapfest that was Highlander II, the villain was General Katana. hmmm..."um hi, bartender...i would like a Katana, straight up." ________________________________ Where is Darwin when you need him? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #11 July 26, 2006 QuoteHi tbrown, Uh, wasn't a Katana a motorcycle before it was a parachute? Jerry Hi Jerry, hell if I know, maybe it was. Thought it was worth a boot around the Bonfire once or twice, definitely not worth the outrage of Speakers' Corner (saints preserve us). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #12 July 26, 2006 QuoteSanyo is now marketing a telephone called a Katana. It even has the same Japanese caligraphy Katana emblem as the beloved PD 9 cell THAT TOOK THE NAME FIRST (grrrrrrrrr.....). I hope PD sues the shit out of them for trademark infringement. Think of all the R&D a nice settlement could fund... You can only claim trademark infringement when the products are similar enough that reasonable consumers would be confused. Hasbro sued Clue Computing, Inc over their using domain "clue.com" and lost because people shouldn't confuse a computer consulting company with a board game. Since reasonable people aren't going to confuse a Suzuki Katana motorcycle, PD Katana parachute, or Sanyo Katana cellular phone the multiple name uses aren't infringing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 221 #13 July 26, 2006 Quote You can only claim trademark infringement when the products are similar enough that reasonable consumers would be confused. Ummm - We ARE skydivers, and - I'm pretty confused.I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorbie 0 #14 July 26, 2006 Quote I hope PD sues the shit out of them for trademark infringement. Think of all the R&D a nice settlement could fund... I hope you're joking. Phone users should subsidize your sport why exactly? By your logic, Diamond Aircraft Industries in Canada may have a bit more cause to complain about PD. http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=qoud08.3.26 Fortunately reality will impede your proposal for world domination by any of these folks, you need to specify what your trademark applies to and IANAL but as someone mentioned customer confusion is the heart of the issue. You'll have a stronger case when you find a swooper who got confused and bought a cellphone instead of a parachute, and when you can show us that katana trademark you think PD registered. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
