Microsoft Forces wxWindows To Rename

Peter Millerchip writes "Apparently Microsoft have forced wxWindows, the popular cross-platform C++ GUI library, to change its name to wxWidgets over the UK trademark of the seemingly generic word 'Windows.' Hot on the heels of the MikeRoweSoft.com incident, you have to wonder if their overactive legal team will be targetting double glazing manufacturers next?"

Comments

Common Word Trade Marks

[KilobyteKnight]

Microsoft has a habit of using generic terms as names for its products then trademarking them. I believe it purposely done for anti-competitive reasons. Had they not been declared a monopoly, it probably wouldn't be a problem. However, they were... why aren't people filing complaints about them co-opting common words?

Mocrosoft's Naming System

What should we call our...
office suite: Office
the word processor in it: Word
disk operating system: DOS
windowing operatind system: Windows
flight simulator game: Flight Simulator
media player: Media Player

It makes you wonder if Bill Gates sues his neighbors for calling home their dog, "Come 'ere dog", since I'm sure that's what his dog is named.

Re:Common Word Trade Marks

[KilobyteKnight]

So in that sense, calling is "office suite" is really just co-opting the brand name for the generic use, ala Kleenex. The term just didn't exist before Microsoft Office.

The term "office" did.

Kimberly Clark didn't decide to call one of their products "tissues", they called it "Kleenex tissues" - with "Kleenex" being the registered trademark, not "tissues". Worth noting - Kleenex isn't "tissue paper". Kleenex is Kimberly Clark's "best of" product line. Their top of the line diapers are also called Kleenex. Kleenex is also a made up word. It became well known because it is a brand name representing good products.

The word "office" has been around much longer than a microcomputer software maker named "MicroSoft". I just don't accept your line of reasoning.

"What should we call a collection of programs intended for use at the office?"

Re:Phew, it's hot in here

[jc42]

Is someone going to trademark the word "The" next, ...

Actually, someone tried that, back in the 70's as I recall. It was the name of a new OS. The USPTO didn't accept it then. They just might today.

So why don't you give it a try? Let us know how it works out.

(There was also an attempt to register "English" as the name of a computer programming language. That wasn't accepted, either. It's worth another try, too. ;-)

Re:The headline is misleading.

[spitzak]

I understand that wxWindows did this after getting an offer of compensation from Microsoft. The question is, why did Microsoft do this in the first place? It does nothing but give them bad publicity and piss people off at them even more, for what plausable purpose?

Maybe wxWindows or even Lindows set this up as a ploy to make Microsoft look bad? But I have no idea why Microsoft is so stupid as to take the bait.

Unless a clear explanation comes up, Microsoft has lost all my sympathy in the Lindows case. Certainly Lindows is a ploy on their name and you can even make a case that it is designed to confuse consumers. But that is not true for wxWindows, so Microsoft has proven themselves to be as big of assholes as many people claim.

Re:Office next?

[Dark Bard]

McDonalds actually tried suing a Scotsman who had a family resturant named McDonalds. Turns out he was the head of the McDonald clan. Another case involved Dolby Studios suing Thomas Dolby for infringing trademark. Turns out he was born with the name and predated the Dolby trademark. Not much research or common sense is used in defending trademarks. Microsoft should absolutely fall under trademark but common use terms should not and there are plenty of court presedents reguarding this. Some one in the film effects industry actually got a trademark issued on the term "Waldo", as in a type of control system. The silly thing was the term was in common use since before the individual was born. He won several lawsuits reguarding the use of the term until I believe a court finally removed his trademark.