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

Posted by timothy on from the down-with-ptt dept.

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.

3 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. Suing the Army first ? by Tolchz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From FM 24-19
    Radio Operator's Handbook
    http://155.217.58.58/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm /24-19/Glo ss.htm

    Glossary

    proword procedure word

    psi per square inch

    PTT push-to-talk

    pwr power

    qty quantity

  2. Amateur Radio by tiny69 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder how the HAMs will take this. They've been using Push To Talk switches for at least 50 years (being generous for Nextel). I hope Nextel is smart when it goes after people over TM infringement. It would be really easy for a court to rule that term is generic. If Nextel does go after HAMs or those that make amatuer radios, Nextel may be surprised when they realize that HAMs can have deep pockets and are great at pooling resourses. Shit, HAMs have been building their own satellites for some time now....

    --
    Go not unto/. for advice, for you will be told both yea and nay (but have nothing to do with the question)
  3. Re:Not A Big Deal by grahamm · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But is cellphone not too narrow a field? I am sure that a company could not market slippers or boots and call them 'Nike' claiming that these are different fields than trainers.