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

Suing the Army first ?

[Tolchz]

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

Not A Big Deal

[Bistronaut]

This is just a trademark. Not a patent. Trademarks like this are only applicable within their industry. Now, they may be some pretty silly trademarks, but they only affect how you can market you competing "push to talk" service - they don't keep you from making it in the first place.

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:Not A Big Deal

[grahamm]

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.

Toll charges for local calls...

[wolf-]

We also received notice today from Nextel informing us that some folks in our local exchanges may be charged to call our nextel phones.

Nextel claims the decision was not theirs, but the paper states that Nextel used to absorb the call termination fees. Sure sounds like their "decision" to no longer absorb the fees.

They can't tell us who they are in a pissing contest with, but from the wording on the notice, and from the wording on the nextel customer service reps screen, I would guess it is Bellsouth.

As for PTT and "Push to Talk" I also would have thought those terms are "common usage" terms by now.

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.

Re:Toll charges for local calls...

[DigitalJEM]

Actually they are going to keep the iDEN network for the direct connect from what I understand. They are only going to change the cellular side of things to possible CDMA (in the talks). So it's likely we will soon see dual-mode/tri-mode phones.

Re:Toll charges for local calls...

[DigitalJEM]

found a website you should take a look at adolf http://www.mobileinfo.com/Wireless_Networks/wirele ss_wan_esmr.htm Here we go: ""a start-up company named FleetCall aggregated the assets of several fleet dispatchers (taxi companies, construction companies and others in similar businesses) and implemented a completely new digital wireless network called Nextel. Nextel also has an equity share in Clearnet in Ontario, which has implemented a similar network in Canada. Nextel and Clearnet combined provide a coast-to-coast continental ESMR service now.""

Another(tm) one(tm)...?

[leonbrooks]

Looks(tm) like(tm) someone(tm)'(tm)s(tm) got(tm) too(tm) much(tm) time(tm) on(tm) their(tm) hands(tm).

Amateur Radio

[tiny69]

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....

Re:Amateur Radio

[Micro$will]

Shit, HAMs have been building their own satellites for some time now....

HAMs don't need no stinking satellites, that's what the ionosphere is for. As for pooling resources, they've been chatting it up around the world before the Internet was a gleam in Al Gore's eye.

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:Better question

[DigitalJEM]

No. Nextel was originally a two way radio only and they ADDED cellular to it.. It is much like Private Ham radio in a way. The key here is they added cellular to their ESMR network.. They aren't adding PTT to their cellular network (like all the other carriers)

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.