France sues Google for using the word "Le" in its company name
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
#52What ever happened to the motto “don’t be evil”?
Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid
#53Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
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…
Apples predate civilization, yet Apple does have the exclusive privilege of using the word Apple in relation to computers and almost anything that touches a computer. So that's not a great argument. Google does not have a trademark on Droid, however. It doesn't actually matter though, because civil litigation is a war of attrition. They don't have to be right. They just have to have deeper pockets. If you think this…
Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid
#55Didn'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?
Yes, Lucasfilm actually owns several trademarks on the word droid, mainly in toys, computer games, and entertainment. Interpreted broadly, these trademarks cover "smart" devices, which are generally used to interact with entertainment media.
See also the legal battle of Apple v Apple[0] (music vs computers)
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer
Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid
#56Apple would not let me register a developer account using my domain name macscan.net. Got a letter from their legal team. This was not for any product or app I was even thinking of making. This was purely: 'You cannot use that email address'.
Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
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
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
Up to a point.
It's when people are able to trademark single everyday words that it becomes farcical. I sell designs on several print-on-demand sites and occasionally dip into related forums, etc. As well as the obvious take-downs for people flagrantly violating other's intellectual property, it's fairly common for people to have their designs rejected because some completely innocuous word used in the title or description has been trademarked somewhere by someone. [0]
It's doubly farcical when [as in the Google example] the company owning the trademark in question has actually lifted it themselves from popular culture. [1]
[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonMerch/search?q=trademark&rest...
Re: Google sues me for using the word “droid” in my company name Orpheusdroid
#59Earlier 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
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
#60Apple would not let me register a developer account using my domain name macscan.net. Got a letter from their legal team. This was not for any product or app I was even thinking of making. This was purely: 'You cannot use that email address'.
Might be your long held personal email or whatever, but it also looks like a scam URL.