Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

team-bhp.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 203 posts

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#21

Post by luto »

stingraycharles wrote: post #20
wodenokoto wrote: post #17

Didn't Motorola license Droid from Lucas Arts for the Motorola Droid lineup [1]? And since Google bought Motorola, it is now on Google to protect the trademark? [1] Although Wikipedia says it was licensed to Verizon: "The brand name Droid is a trademark of Lucasfilm licensed to Verizon Wireless." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Droid So Maybe it is Disney or Verizon that should be suing?

Isn’t a trademark only valid in a single market, eg consumer electronics vs entertainment?

Trademarks are valid in one or more "classes", yes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_(Nice)_Classific...

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#22

Post by praptak »

stingraycharles wrote: post #20
wodenokoto wrote: post #17

Didn't Motorola license Droid from Lucas Arts for the Motorola Droid lineup [1]? And since Google bought Motorola, it is now on Google to protect the trademark? [1] Although Wikipedia says it was licensed to Verizon: "The brand name Droid is a trademark of Lucasfilm licensed to Verizon Wireless." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Droid So Maybe it is Disney or Verizon that should be suing?

Isn’t a trademark only valid in a single market, eg consumer electronics vs entertainment?

The general spirit is to protect consumers from confusion by competing companies, which is good.

It only becomes a problem when the hypothetical consumer becomes doormat dumb and half blind. I think that Firefox should have kept the name Phoenix, nobody would get confused by that.

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#23

Post by cryptica »

mksreddy wrote: post #7

An android variant named xxxdroid and you wonder Google is coming after you for name? Also I feel author is disingenuous when he says used Droid in Orphesdroid references to automation.

The words 'droid' and `android` existed long before Google existed so Google has no exclusive right to the use of this word.

It seems that corporations don't know what to do anymore so they start suing small players. Clearly, they're desperate because their schemes are about to be exposed.

Mega-corporations are the center of ethical and moral depravity so they should not be in position to sue anyone. They're the ones who should be getting sued.

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#24

Post by akerro »

segfaultbuserr wrote: post #12
mksreddy wrote: post #7

An android variant named xxxdroid and you wonder Google is coming after you for name? Also I feel author is disingenuous when he says used Droid in Orphesdroid references to automation.

Does simply using the word "Droid" for an Android-related project count as trademark infringement? Can the free software project "F-Droid" [0] (Android App Installer) be sued for trademark infringement? If it is, it's bad news... [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid

Facebook sued and won companies that had "book" in their name.

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#26

Post by coolspot »

wodenokoto wrote: post #19
segfaultbuserr wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does simply using the word "Droid" for an Android-related project count as trademark infringement? Can the free software project "F-Droid" [0] (Android App Installer) be sued for trademark infringement? If it is, it's bad news... [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid

A license was acquired for the Motorola Droid use of the word "Droid" from Lucas Arts, so I would guess that the answer is yes.

I can’t find current trademark “droid” in the USPTO database: http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#28

Post by trenchgun »

wodenokoto wrote: post #19
segfaultbuserr wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does simply using the word "Droid" for an Android-related project count as trademark infringement? Can the free software project "F-Droid" [0] (Android App Installer) be sued for trademark infringement? If it is, it's bad news... [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid

A license was acquired for the Motorola Droid use of the word "Droid" from Lucas Arts, so I would guess that the answer is yes.

That is insane.

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#29

Post by Oricle »

cryptica wrote: post #23
mksreddy wrote: post #7

An android variant named xxxdroid and you wonder Google is coming after you for name? Also I feel author is disingenuous when he says used Droid in Orphesdroid references to automation.

The words 'droid' and `android` existed long before Google existed so Google has no exclusive right to the use of this word. It seems that corporations don't know what to do anymore so they start suing small players. Clearly, they're desperate because their schemes are about to be exposed. Mega-corporations are the center of ethical and moral depravity so they should not be in position to sue anyone. They're the ones…

No company should be more than 100 employees, problem solved and real compition will exist

Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid

#30

Post by snoshy »

cryptica wrote: post #23
mksreddy wrote: post #7

An android variant named xxxdroid and you wonder Google is coming after you for name? Also I feel author is disingenuous when he says used Droid in Orphesdroid references to automation.

The words 'droid' and `android` existed long before Google existed so Google has no exclusive right to the use of this word. It seems that corporations don't know what to do anymore so they start suing small players. Clearly, they're desperate because their schemes are about to be exposed. Mega-corporations are the center of ethical and moral depravity so they should not be in position to sue anyone. They're the ones…

This sounds to me like a feel good sentiment that lacks careful thought. I agree that "droid" and "android" predate Google and their ilk. It still does not follow that they're suing out of boredom, or that they fear exposure... aren't there bigger brands to protect, like Google itself?

Setting aside who should or not be in a position to sue anyone (I would hope due process guarantees that to everyone equally), why should they be getting sued?

Post reply on HN