Australian Women Fight Over "Geekgirl" Trademark

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Australian Women Fight Over "Geekgirl" Trademark

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday May 20, 2010 @01:52AM 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."

21 of 187 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Or... by pak9rabid · 2010-05-20 01:59 · Score: 3, Funny

Maybe they should just go by a more realistic name: UglyGirlsThatWantAttentionFromAnyGuyThatWillGiveItTothem
1. Re:Or... by catmistake · 2010-05-20 02:21 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  ha ha ha that's so cool you call girls ugly, man, I wish I could have an opinion
  
  --
  The Admin and the Engineer
Who will win? by Hognoxious · 2010-05-20 02:00 · Score: 4, Funny

Who will win?
Under UK law, it would be the one who could prove they used it first.
Under French law, it would be who registered it first.
In Australian law? The one with the biggest tits.

--
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
1. Re:Who will win? by ICLKennyG · 2010-05-20 02:14 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  I wonder if either of them will actually have established valid use rights under this dispute. Geekgirl would almost surely be descriptive and as such would need to prove secondary meaning under the American system. Even assuming that the AU system would have issued a trademark registration to the first girl, it's only a priority date for intent to use. She needs to actually produce a good or service and it's going to be interesting if they say some blog posts are a good or service are enough to establish this use. What will likely happen is the second will fold like a cheap suit despite the fact that she would win if she had competent counsel.
2. Re:Who will win? by Shakrai · 2010-05-20 02:34 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  In Australian law? The one with the biggest tits.
  But justice is supposed to be blind. Does that mean there will be groping involved? How do I get on a jury in Australia? ;)
  
  --
  I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
  We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
3. Re:Who will win? by S.O.B. · 2010-05-20 03:14 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  In Japanese law, the one dressed as a schoolgirl.
  In Russian law, the one who can bench press the most..
  In Canadian law, the one with the most donuts.
  In U.S. law, the one with the biggest tits (See Australian law).
  In Italian law, the one with the biggest tits (See Australian and U.S. law).
  In French law, the one with the hairiest armpits.
  In Saudi law, the one with the least amount of skin showing.
  In Dutch law, the one with the most pot.
  In Latvian law...got nothin'.
  In Irish law, the one who can drink the most beer.
  In Scottish law, the one who can drink the most scotch (duh) while playing golf.
  In English law, the one with the straightest teeth.
  In Brazilian law, the one with a Brazilian.
  
  --
  Some of what I say is fact, some is conjecture, the rest I'm just blowing out my ass...you guess.
4. Re:Who will win? by gravis777 · 2010-05-20 03:31 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Is this just someone claiming they own the trademark, or can they like prove it - like they have been using it and writing for ZDNet for 15 years using that name?
  If they really have been using it as a handle for years, and has business tied to it, then that is a legit argument.
  And, seriously, the other girl is actually allowing this to go to court? It takes like a whole 20 seconds to change one's username on Twitter, and all your followers automatically go to your new username. I would have changed it to GeekGirl2, and just have avoided the legal costs.
5. Re:Who will win? by gravis777 · 2010-05-20 03:34 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  BTW, in reading the article, the one who is sueing has had the trademark since 1995, the second one registared, but was not approved, in January of this year. Sounds like a legit complaint to me.
6. Re:Who will win? by Opportunist · 2010-05-20 03:37 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Sorry, no. In French law, the one who marries the president.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
7. Re:Who will win? by gijoel · 2010-05-20 03:42 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Nah, this is Australia Mate.
  
  It goes to the one with the biggest knife!
Re:Ridiculous by WrongSizeGlass · 2010-05-20 02:01 · Score: 4, Funny

I'm going to start calling myself slashdot now.
OK, but now if I ever agree with one of your posts I'm going to have to say "I agree with Slashdot", and that alone will put me right.back.in.therapy
Which one is here on Slashdot? by Fujisawa+Sensei · 2010-05-20 02:02 · Score: 3, Insightful

Which one hangs out on Slashdot?
If neither of them do than neither deserves the trademark.

--
If someone is passing you on the right, you are an asshole for driving in the wrong lane.
1. Re:Which one is here on Slashdot? by MRe_nl · 2010-05-20 02:09 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  http://slashdot.org/~geekgirl/friends
  Pre-twitter uid i think.
  Probably a man though ; ).
  
  --
  "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
Why 'girl'? by Anonymous Coward · 2010-05-20 02:13 · 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 Infiniti2000 · 2010-05-20 02:33 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Would you prefer to see geekbitch?
2. Re:Why 'girl'? by AmberBlackCat · 2010-05-20 08:56 · 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.
Betrayal of geekdom by Arancaytar · 2010-05-20 02:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

Anyone who claims a trademark on such a generic term should hand in their geek card and instead join the Patent Troll Club. :-(
Re:Ridiculous by voidptr · 2010-05-20 03:25 · Score: 4, Funny

People act Elitist with a low UID, I hope to reverse that trend.
Let me know how that work out for you, filthy 7-digiter.

--
This .sig for unofficial government use only. Official use subject to $500 fine.
How can they trademark something this common? by meerling · 2010-05-20 03:55 · Score: 3, Insightful

Shortly after geek was being used in a non-negative way to refer to computer enthusiasts, geekgirl started being used for clarification purposes due to the extreme gender bias people have of thinking of geeks as an all male group. Heck, I even went to college with a girl that had a binary square tattoo that was ascii for geekgirl.

This entire case reeks of horse manure in my opinion.
Re:Ridiculous by bano · 2010-05-20 04:51 · Score: 4, Funny

I must be here...
Re:Ridiculous by $lashdot · 2010-05-20 05:47 · Score: 3, Funny

I'm going to start calling myself slashdot now.
OK, but now if I ever agree with one of your posts I'm going to have to say "I agree with Slashdot", and that alone will put me right.back.in.therapy
You think you have problems? What if this becomes a trend? How will I stand out anymore?