Re: [oc] legal advice

[Victor the Cleaner <jonathan@canuck.com>]

On Wed, Feb 13, 2002 at 01:44:55PM +0100, Jean Masson wrote:
 
> corporation, they could not protect the name MIPS. A precedent is Altair, the first released
> microcomputer's name,
> Altair name (a star's name) was used before, in an anticipation TV novel, so they could not protect
> their brand.

You're seriously off-base here.  Trademarks are specific to the object they
refer to.  To pursue the "Altair" example:  Assuming for the purposes of this
example, of course, that MITS trademarked the name in reference to their 
computers and that trademark was still in force, anyone can use the name 
"Altair" to describe a car, a chocolate bar, or a dildo, and not infringe on 
MITS' trademark.  What you *can't* do is use it to describe a *computer*,
because that's the usage specifically covered by trademark.

jl

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