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

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

#41

What’s next, action against the estate of Philip K. Dick for giving the Nexus series a bad name? The irony of Google trying a passing-off claim over these names particularly stinks, since they ripped them off in the first place.

Actually, his estate threatened to sue Google over the Nexus name. I’m not sure it came to anything.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jan/07/google-ne...

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

#45
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

I was permitted to register my trademark (Techdroid) as long as I don't write it with a large D. This was requested by the holder of the trademark "Droid".

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

#47
post #32

The problem is that he's making mobile apps with that name. Lucas Films' trademarks to "Droid" aren't relevant here, because those are for movies and nobody's going to confuse them with the Android OS.

That didn't keep them from going after davdroid (now davx5). Afair lucasarts was behind that.

It was Google https://mobile.twitter.com/davx5app/status/10706816836938506...

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

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Why?

Trademarks are one of the few pieces of IP that seem to make sense to me.

They protect consumers by letting the consumer trust a trademark is what they think it is, they aren't overly broad and they aren't automatic.

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

#49

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

From what I was told you can't use a similar name on a similar product or company, but if it's different enough it's ok. A friend had a few stores selling clothes with a name that was french for something I've forgotten. Then a large chain started selling and heavily marketing a perfume with the same name. My friend wanted to stop them using the name, but after a few rounds of lawyers he got nowhere because selling c…

That's a factor but not a rule. The biggest test basically boils down to would a normal person reasonably be confused. In this case I don't think anyone would think this was a Google product. Knowing very little else I don't personally think Google would win a trademark suit like this on its merits, but being Google of course they actually could win if they threw money at it, or make it not worth pursuing.
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