Slashdot Mirror
Nexus One Name Irks Philip K. Dick's Estate
RevWaldo writes "According to the Wall Street Journal, the estate of Philip K. Dick says the name of Google's new smartphone infringes on the famous character name from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Isa Dick Hackett, a daughter of Mr. Dick, states Google has its 'Android system, and now they are naming a phone "Nexus One." It's not lost on the people who are somewhat familiar with this novel... Our legal team is dealing head-on with this.'"
Yes, the headline should read - Google rips off Dick.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Longest first post evar?!
You type fast. Very fast. Too fast, perhaps. That makes me suspicious.
Can you look into this Voight-Kampff machine, please, and tell me only the good things about your mother?
The flame that burns +1, Funny burns -1, Long.
And you have burned so very, very +1, Funny Bottles.
Yep, here is a fine example of it
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
"let me tell you about my mother..."
-- Sig under construction...
As is, there still will be, but they'll call it the "Neck Suss Won" just to cover their asses legally. Or because of extremely bad translation...
$_ = "wftedskaebjgdpjgidbsmnjgcdwatb"; tr/a-z/oh, turtleneck Phrase Jar!/; print
These aren't the Droids you're looking for.
I'm now copyrighting NEXUS TWO, NEXUS THREE and NEXUS FOUR by using these in my post.
When Google brings out next generations of its phone, I'll sue them and become rich!
You gotta think ahead.
"we've got trenchcoats and bad attitudes" - John Constantine, HellBlazer
I don't think that sales of the book will be harmed by this, nor do I expect that there will be any confusion over which is which.
Well, you're wrong. I'm never buying or reading the book now. It can't be anywhere near as good as the phone.
"Hey you should really read this book" "Nah I'm waiting for the phone to come out"
Even Motorola had the wherewithal to kindly ask Lucas before using Droid as a name for their phone because 'droid' is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.
The clue is in the part of your own post starting "because" - even then, its debatable as to whether that trademark would apply to anything other than plush R2D2 toys.
Google applied for a trademark on "NEXUS ONE" [uspto.gov].
Yup - "Nexus 1". Not "Nexus 6". Its a dictionary word and a number. I Googled for "Nexus" and get the Tyne and Wear public transportation system, a Christian music school, a dating agency, a production company and a sponsored link to Amazon leading to a whole bunch of rather pornographic looking novels. No Dick (at least of the Philip K variety).
Now, if Google had jumped straight to "Nexus 6", launched an ad campaign featuring Rutger Hauer, and offered a free lead codpiece or a $100 mail-in rebate on a genuine goat, there might have been a case.
(Push your eyeballs out through your ears? There's an App for that!)
Where do you suppose it should stop? Should Red Hat need Paramount's permission for "Red Hat Enterprise Linux" - or Nokia for the "Nokia Communicator"? Is "Heroes" ripping off Neal Stevenson by having a character punnily named "Hiro"?
In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
If this goes to court, Google would better win, or else we'll be treated to a headline "Google pays Dick wads".
The Chinese will probably translate "Nexus" to mean "connection point" and then mangle that to "post" in the sense of a post in a fence; "one" will then be translated as "first".
So yeah, look for the First Post phone to come out in about six months.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
Actually, "You're a Harlan Ellison" would be a MUCH worse insult. I'm just surprised Mr. Sue-Happy hasn't gotten in with his own lawsuit, claiming that the cellphone was his idea, from one of his crappy TV scripts in the 60's.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Coastguard.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
My wife posts on slashdot now? Damn!
"Google Beats Dick" has a nice sound to it, namely that of a million slashdotters fapping.
--Udo.
Don't bother suing me, I've got nothing.
Asimov left a widow. And when the fifth generation of Asimo (Asimo V) comes out, will she have a case?
Free Martian Whores!
Plus it would seem there are 6 others to go after before we get to you, anyway. ;)
Down with the career politician! SUPPORT TERM LIMITS
Actually, I think "Google rips off Dick heirs" works even better.
Allowing heirs to sit on this "property" indefinitely does not surve this purpose.
Then it's a good thing that copyright isn't indefinite then, isn't it? You might not like the length of time copyright runs, but that doesn't change the fact that there is, indeed, a time limit to it.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
You won't even be allowed to possess the sixth version of this Nexus phone on the planet Earth. It will only be for use in the off-world colonies.
Special Verizon squads have orders to destroy, upon detection, any Nexus Six phone. This is called "retirement," and is not covered under warranty.
The "Recycle Bin" was a more "PC" term.
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.