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Don't Get Cocky

Bramblethorn

Bramblethorn

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Feb 16, 2012
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A romance author has claimed a trademark on the word "cocky" and is attempting to stop other authors from using it.

Legally this is flagrant bullshit, but at least one author has reported that Amazon took down one of her stories after Ms. Hopkins made a trademark complaint.

*eyeroll*
 
Amazon is always happy to take down any independent book for any reason.

Even though this is total bullshit, she's going to get away with it at least with indy writers because A, who has money to go to court over their $2.99 e-book and also as just mentioned Amazon enjoys any reason to pull books and there is no arguing with them.
 
ausfet said:
What a cunty act.
Click to expand...

So, she's trademarked 'cocky' as a 'wordmark' (word written in a specific typeface used in a specific context), and is now doing the rounds threatening other writers with lawsuits, some of whom had used the word in their titles (in different typefaces) prior to her use of it.

I have a friend who has Touertte's who'd have just the right words for this FUCKBITCHWHORECUNTWHORE.

Oh, hey mate, cheers.
 
RocketLauncher said:
There is no such thing as bad publicity.
Click to expand...

I think that really depends who you are.

I suspect [this author, whose name I can't be fucked remembering], Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby might disagree with you on that... in the long run. ;)

[Edited to remove unnecessary language]
 
Last edited:
lovecraft68 said:
Amazon is always happy to take down any independent book for any reason.

Even though this is total bullshit, she's going to get away with it at least with indy writers because A, who has money to go to court over their $2.99 e-book and also as just mentioned Amazon enjoys any reason to pull books and there is no arguing with them.
Click to expand...

Looks like Romance Writers of America is lawyering up on behalf of its members, so hopefully they'll stomp it into the ground.

JasonClearwater said:
So, she's trademarked 'cocky' as a 'wordmark' (word written in a specific typeface used in a specific context), and is now doing the rounds threatening other writers with lawsuits, some of whom had used the word in their titles (in different typefaces) prior to her use of it.
Click to expand...

She seems to have two trademarks: one for the wordmark, as you describe, and another for "cocky" in relation to her books regardless of typeface.
 
Her trademark apparently only applies to the use of "Cocky" in a *series* title, because in the US you can't legally trademark the title of a single book. (I'm not a legal expert; I'm getting that info from blogs written by lawyers who do know how this works.) But even though her trademark applies to series titles, she's still using it to report single books to Amazon and to send fairly threatening letters to the authors of some of those books. According to her, it's "easy" to change a book title... except it isn't, because you have to change that title on all files, get a new book cover done, etc., and it can get expensive.

For her, I think this publicity is bad publicity, because there are a whole lot of people who had never heard of her before who have now added her to their "never buy" lists.

There have already been a few parody books done, including one that's selling quite well on Amazon.
 
Create a 'Bastard' series: The Bastard of Troyes; The Bastard of Vienna; The Bastard Tromp; The Unholy Bastard. File for wordmark protection on 'bastard'. Try the same with 'bitch' or 'cunny'. See how it goes.
 
I guess I'm lucky, I've never in my life used the word 'co**y' and I'm not about too in the future. :D:rolleyes:
 
You know, there is an easy solution to this. We all start releasing short stories on Amazon, at 0.2c per story, all with 'Cocky' in the title. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Same cover image, different titles, all under different alts. Let her crack(ed up) legal team pursue every single one of them.
 
JasonClearwater said:
You know, there is an easy solution to this. We all start releasing short stories on Amazon, at 0.2c per story, all with 'Cocky' in the title. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Same cover image, different titles, all under different alts. Let her crack(ed up) legal team pursue every single one of them.
Click to expand...

As far as I know you can use the same titles too. So use the same titles as her books. Make them freebies too.
 
ChloeTzang said:
As far as I know you can use the same titles too. So use the same titles as her books. Make them freebies too.
Click to expand...

I want the owner of the script she used for the brand graphic to pursue her for breach of contract. One of the lawyer babbles noted that it's a term of their permission to use the script, that nothing was to be trade-marked from it.
 
ChloeTzang said:
As far as I know you can use the same titles too. So use the same titles as her books. Make them freebies too.
Click to expand...

Did you ever see "Spending the Stephen King Money"?

It's a blog by an author who released a novel called "Joyland" several years before Stephen King put out a book of the same name. He didn't release an e-book version, so she suddenly started getting a lot of e-book sales followed by angry reviews from people who didn't read the listing very carefully. Looks like she got about $3k from it.

She wrote a blog about how she was spending the money. Eventually King found out about it, wished her well, and bought a copy of her book. Nobody sued anybody.

https://stephenkingmoney.tumblr.com/
 
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