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Rupert Murdoch Claims To Own the 'Sky' In 'Skype'
Crudely_Indecent writes "Not content to own just news stories, Rupert Murdoch is now going after individual words! His BSkyB is fighting a legal battle with Skype, claiming that it owns the 'Sky' in 'Skype.' From the article: 'A spokesman for Sky confirmed that the company has been involved in a "five-year dispute with Skype" over trademark applications filed by the telecomms company. These are, the spokesman added: "including, but not limited to, television-related goods and services."'"
Seems they own the word Douche in the word Douchebag too.
I thought trademarks were related to the possibility of accidental confusion. If Murdoch thinks the average person will confuse BSkyB and Skype, he must have the most horrendous opinion of the average person!
Whens he gonna die?
take my land
take me where I cannot stand
I don't care
I'm still free
you can't take the sky from me
(Sorry, it's the first thing that came to mind.....)
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Isn't it interesting how the scope of Trademarks and IP law keep expanding. The original concept of a trademark was to make it difficult for the competition to pass their products off as your products, it had this concept of a "reasonable person" being confused between mark A and mark B. I think when we have companies protecting dictionary words and words containing other words that they happen to have trademarked it has gone far further than the original concept.
I wonder how long until someone protects the letter 'a' and then requires a cash payment each time you use that letter in your trademark? I know that sounds like an insane concept but if you asked people about what is happening today with IP and trademarks they would have told you that was insane too!
Yes but he also owns the merde in Murdoch.
-- open source? sounds like the real book --
What next? Saying he owns the fox in firefox?
Sorry, Rupert! The good folks at SK Hand tools http://www.skhandtool.com/ have had a trademark in SK since 1921. I think you owe them 2/5 of all the revenues BSkyB have taken in since 1989.
--- Often in error; never in doubt!
So if Murdoch wins this, will he set a precedent that allows KY Jelly to sue him for the KY in SKY?
After all, it might create confusion in the market, seeing as how they are both in the business of fucking you in the arse.
A powerful, mean and hateful man - who's wealth and power have brought no comfort to his cramped and ugly little self. The paucity of his humanity is demonstrated with every pathetic grab he makes.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."