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Windows Vista Faces Lawsuits

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the expensive-view dept.

WindozeSux writes "When tech company Vista discovered the title for the new Windows Operating System version, company founder John Wall was not amused. John Wall may take this to court because he knows of how protective Microsoft is over their trademarks. From the article: 'A Microsoft spokesman said the company chose Vista from a list developed by the Windows team, based on attributes of the new software. Among its primary selling points are new tools for searching and viewing the contents of a PC; communications features; and a lighter desktop appearance with transparent objects.'"

18 of 509 comments (clear)

  1. What about Apple? by brilinux · · Score: 5, Funny

    Among its primary selling points are new tools for searching and viewing the contents of a PC; communications features; and a lighter desktop appearance with transparent objects.

    Why did they not just call it "Mac OS X" then? Vista... geesh.

  2. BAM! by Sensible+Clod · · Score: 5, Funny

    Turnabout == fair play.

    </optimistic>

    Does anyone think this will stop Microsoft from pulling similar stunts?

    *earth oscillates from the force of millions of Slashdotters' heads shaking*

    --

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    1. Re:BAM! by MonkeyOfRage · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Does anyone think this will stop Microsoft from pulling similar stunts?

      Stop them? It'll reinforce the value of pulling the stunt first.

  3. Lets just call it by its true name... by ZiakII · · Score: 5, Funny

    Windows XP Service Pack 3

    1. Re:Lets just call it by its true name... by macaulay805 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or Windows NT Service Pack 18 Level 2 Patch 41 with Mac OS X GUI Extensions.

  4. It confuses me. by espergreen · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am still trying to figure out why apple is letting tigerdirect make its operating system. :(

  5. The Terminator Kills Your PC by mcmediaman · · Score: 5, Funny

    I find the name Vista to be very appropriate. I propose that on every new install, an image of the Terminator pops up, saying "Hasta la vista, baby!!!"

  6. Naming tradition by EnsilZah · · Score: 5, Funny

    I say Microsoft should continue with the emoticon tradition started with XP and go for like =( or 8| or something...

  7. Re:Preemptive strike... by jmcmunn · · Score: 5, Insightful


    Yes, but Lindows was created (the idea and name) in order to woo current Windows owners into switching to an OS that sounds similar and is hyped as being easy to use etc...

    Lindows was something created after Windows, and was meant to use the name to draw customers. There is a clear diference here. Vista is an existing company with (as I understand) an entirely different product in a non-competing market.

    (oh, and I have nothing against Lindows at all, it is just not a valid argument IMHO)

  8. Synonyms for "Vista" by Joey+Patterson · · Score: 5, Funny
    If MS does end up having to change Windows Vista's name, they can choose from a list of synonyms for "Vista" so they'd have names like:
    • Windows Aspect
    • Windows Horizon
    • Windows Panorama
    • Windows Landscape
    ...and my personal favorite:
    • Windows Outlook
  9. They used MSN Search to look for it... by zaydana · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why all the people saying microsoft should have googled for the name first? Obviosuly, microsoft would have used the msn search. Perhaps that explains why they didn't realize that the name is already taken.

  10. i wanna know by Naikrovek · · Score: 5, Interesting

    what http://vistawindows.com/ is gonna do.

  11. From JoelOnSoftware by noblethrasher · · Score: 5, Interesting
    For those of you who keep up with Joel Spolsky, here's what he had to say about a very similar matter
    Well, there are a couple of dozen products named Copilot, many with registered trademarks, so our trademark lawyer advised us to use Fog Creek Copilot which would eliminate any possibility of confusion with those other Copilot brand products. The point of trademark laws is that what you're not allowed to do is create any confusion or potential confusion as to the origin of your product, and sticking "Fog Creek" in front guarantees that, but we have to be religious about always using the full name. I didn't really mind, having started my career working on products like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications for Microsoft Excel, etc. etc. After a few weeks on the Microsoft Excel team if you ever saw the word "Excel" without a "Microsoft" in front of it, it looked nekkid.
  12. Re:I think.. by Dragoon412 · · Score: 5, Funny
    How many people are going to actually know what "Vista" means, anyway? I'd put 20 on people thinking that the newest incarnation of Windows is some spanish distribution.

    Well, I know what Vista stands for:

    Viruses
    Instability
    Spyware
    Trojans
    Adware

    Quite frankly, I'm amazed they didn't find a way to work DRM in there. ;)
  13. Re:Finaly a lawsuit I can get behind! by kubrick · · Score: 5, Funny

    Heck, why call it Windows Vista, when Windows Fiesta! sounds even worse?

    How about "Windows Fiasco!"?

    --
    deus does not exist but if he does
  14. _windows_ by Nikademus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How did someone let them register _windows_ then. Afetr all, it's a common word.

    Word History: The source of our word window is a vivid metaphor. Window comes to us from the Scandinavian invaders and settlers of England in the early Middle Ages. Although we have no record of the exact word they gave us, it was related to Old Norse vindauga, "window," a compound made up of vindr, "wind," and auga, "eye," reflecting the fact that at one time windows contained no glass. The metaphor "wind eye" is of a type beloved by Norse and Old English poets and is called a kenning; other examples include oar-steed for "ship" and whale-road for "sea." Recently we have restored to the 800-year-old word window a touch of its poetic heritage, using it figuratively in such phrases as launch window, weather window, and window of opportunity or vulnerability.

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  15. Re:Preemptive strike... by networkBoy · · Score: 5, Informative

    some numbers not quite out my ass:
    ( http://www.finfacts.com/brands.htm )
    CocaCola: $67bn
    Microsoft: $61bn
    IBM: $54bn
    GE: $44bn
    Intel: $34bn
    Disney: $27bn

    so, yeah brands are worth some money. If I was vista I would have waited and made them re-brand their software after the boxes and disks were printed but before they hit the stores ;)
    -nB

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  16. Re:Preemptive strike... by surprise_audit · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The way I understand it, you have to defend against any possible trademark infringement, because letting just one infringement pass means you could lose control of it.

    OK, so if the two parties have wildly different products, there's usually no problem. This is how Apple and Apple Records settled - Apple Records agreed to let Apple use the name, on the condition that Apple wouldn't produce music, and presumably Apple Records wouldn't make computers. I suspect there's some fancy footwork going on to get over any objections over iTunes & iPods...

    Now, with Vista being a software house, and Windows Vista supposedly being actual software (eventually), there's a lot of scope for confusion. Vista's products could be tainted by Microsoft's track record on screwing stuff up. If Vista ever wanted to market a product called Windows Vista, that's definitely a problem...