Apple, Startup Go To Trial Over 'Pod' Trademark

suraj.sun writes with this excerpt from Ars Technica: "Apple is scheduled to go to trial with a startup to fight over a three-letter word: Pod. The trademark battle centers on independent entrepreneur Daniel Kokin, founder of startup Sector Labs, and his video projector in development called Video Pod. Apple had previously filed oppositions against Kokin's usage of 'Pod,' alleging that it would cause customers to confuse it with Apple's iPod products. ... Names that have come under fire include MyPodder, TightPod, PodShow, and even Podium. Sector Labs is the only company to go to trial with Apple over using the 'Pod' branding. Ana Christian, Kokin's lawyer, says the fight is about more than allowing small businesses to use 'Pod' in their product names. She noted a trend in the tech industry, in which large corporations have been attempting to assume ownership of ordinary words."

Comments

Re:WIth all due repsect

[Anonymous Coward]

With a donkey.

If they win it,

[Bjecas]

will they go for iKea?

Re:If they win it,

[Ecuador]

Only after they're done with iRan and iRaq...

Re:If they win it,

[jasen666]

My god, these countries have no respect for American IP laws at all do they?!

Re:If they win it,

[clickety6]

Well, the two cases are very similar. You might say they're as alike as peas in a...in a.... in a somewhat elongated, two-valved seed vessel !

Re:WIth all due repsect

[Anonymous Coward]

Why be so mean to donkeys?

What's the big deal?

[SupremoMan]

Just change your product from Pod to Pad, and Apple will leave you alone.

Podium?

[Culture20]

They went after Podium?
grep -i pod /usr/share/dict/words
Hmm, I bet they'd sue over "chiropodist" too.

Re:America, pull your head out of your arse.

[AnonymousClown]

US patents, trademarks, gun laws, drug laws. When is the stupidity going to stop?

When we can have the utter perfection of both the government and economic systems that Europe, Canada, Asia - especially Japan - have achieved.

After all, they live in a utopia, don't they?

Re:News @ 11

[icebike]

Open the pod bay doors Hal.

I'm sorry Dave, YOU can't do that.

Re:If they get Pod...

[syousef]

I'll give them Mac, but what does that mean for Shakespeare's Macbeth? Or MacLisp? Or Emacs?

I wouldn't give them Mac, and I don't think the Scottish people would like to either. MacDonalds might have something to say about it, too. I won't give them Pod - or even Podcast. The whole company can go to hell. They sell themselves as some sort of supplier for the stylish literati, and the evolved artist. They just sell substandard junk with a kiddie interface to brainwashable marketting prone snobs.

Prior art goes to...

[capt_zilog]

Stanley Kubrick and 2001... "Open the pod bay doors, HAL" Sounds like ol' Stan's in for a buttload of money!

Sosumi is now

[wen1454]

aisuyu.

Double Trouble

[rueger]

I say go for broke and call it "Olympic Pod." Trademark Madness

Re:Will apple sue apple picking places with apple

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, we just despise you for your redundant prepositions.

Re:News @ 11

[flowsnake]

sudo open the pod bay doors Hal

OK

Re:News @ 11

[WoRLoKKeD]

Maybe Dave can't, but iCan.

Re:News @ 11

[EricX2]

Dave is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.

Re:What a typical waste

[Just Some Guy]

Second, "pod" is an actual word.

So is "coke", but good luck using it as part of the name of your beverage without conjuring a flock of HFCS-fueled Nazgul.