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Australian Women Fight Over "Geekgirl" Trademark

Posted by samzenpus on from the geekgirls-geekgirls-you're-both-pretty dept.

bennyboy64 writes "Two prominent women in the Australian IT industry are in a bitter dispute over the ownership of the trademark 'geekgirl.' A woman attempting to use 'geekgirl' on Twitter told ZDNet that women had been advised by the trademark owner to stop doing so since she owned the trademark for the word. 'She noted her trademark and asked me to stop calling myself a "geekgirl" in general conversation and to cease using the hashtag "#geekgirl" on Twitter,' IT consultant Kate Carruthers said."

7 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Ridiculous by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm going to start calling myself slashdot now.

  2. Why 'girl'? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why do women, even the most intelligent ones, tend to use the word girl in their names?

    Is it for attention? It sounds fucking stupid. Just like when I see boy in a name, I tend to think the person behind it is a dimwitted moron with no imagination.

    (Anonymous Coward is so much more impressive.)

    1. Re:Why 'girl'? by FuckingNickName · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It is for attention, of course; but it works, so I'm not sure how stupid it is. You might say, "It's not the right sort of attention!" but this is Earth, we are humans, and most people are influenced by sexuality. IOW, if you're going to get a little more of what you want - whether that's money, employment prospects, miscellaneous favours or simply admirers - from pointing out that I'm a girl, then you might do so.

      Meanwhile, if you're a straight male - no matter how "intelligent" - you might be just a little bit nicer to the skirt than the fat greybeard. Doing so (or wanting to do so, even if you try and fail at repressing it) is what defines you as heterosexual rather than homosexual or asexual, after all.

    2. Re:Why 'girl'? by AmberBlackCat · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I think I prefer being called "girl" rather than "woman" because it implies youth. But if I'm involved in sex, sometimes I prefer being called "woman" because it implies I'm at my sexual peak. So for me, since whatever a "geek" does has nothing to do with sex, "girl" seems more fitting.

  3. Re:Which one is here on Slashdot? by iamhassi · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One of the "girls" filed for trademark in 95 so that could be her on slashdot. I say the new girl just go 1337 using geekgrrl instead, but geekgirl 95 is stupid if she hasn't been actively using the trademark for 15 yrs and now tries to defend it

    --
    my karma will be here long after I'm gone
  4. Re:trademark law by Dragonslicer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Common words shouldn't be trademarked. Yeah, like Apple and Windows.

    Why not? Sure, you can't have copyright on common words, you can't prevent people from using those words in the context of their normal definition, and you can't prevent people from using those words as names of companies in other industries. If I open "Eastern Computer, Inc.", then I don't see why someone else who wants to open a computer shop across the street shouldn't be required to come up with a different name. It's not like you could prevent someone from opening "Eastern Dry Cleaners" or "Eastern Plumbing".

  5. Re:How can they trademark something this common? by clone53421 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    geekgirl...
    geek_girl...
    geekgrrl...
    g33kg1rl...

    geek-girl is, as of the moment, not taken, although I was sorely tempted to register it.

    --
    Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.