Nextel Claims Trademarks On "Push To Talk" and "PTT"

dmurawsky writes "According to an article at Forbes, Nextel announced that it had been awarded a primary trademark for the term 'PTT' and a Secondary trademark for 'Push To Talk.' Now maybe it's just me, but this term has been used in the radio world for around 60 years. I would have thought it was in the public domain by now. I wonder how Motorola or other radio manufacturers are going to take this. Here's a discussion of the topic at QRZ, an amateur radio forum." Update: 06/24 01:03 GMT by T : Thanks to reader Dan Horn for pointing out the flubbed original headline: Yes, this is about trademarks, rather than patents.

Comments

Re:Not A Big Deal

[Kaeru the Frog]

But isn't it like an ice cream company trademarking the word vanilla? Its a term that is commonly used in the telcommunications field, is it not?

Re:Better question

[DigitalJEM]

It's so nice using DC over a standard phone for the meer reason that it cuts out so much of the BS chitter chatter :D

Re:Toll charges for local calls...

[adolf]

*sigh*

I believe that you think you're right.

I work for one of the most successful full-line Motorola two-way radio dealers in the US. As it happens, parts of the company also work closely with Nextel service agents.

The dirt from the chiefs who create my payroll say this: Motorola wants a cell phone network, and starts making noises about creating one. Regulatory bodies get outwardly twitchy about it. Nextel is born.

I'd rather believe my well-informed rumors than your polished-and-pretty SEC garbage, AC.

Thanks, though, for the opinion.

During the day?

[siskbc]

HAMs don't need no stinking satellites, that's what the ionosphere is for.

At night, yeah. But for those who would like to bounce signals a long way during the day, satellites might be nice.