Trademarking names

[PennLady]

This is about Jay-Z and Beyonce trademarking their daughter's name for future things. Just passing it on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs.../03/gIQAOTDGnQ_blog.html?tid=pm_lifestyle_pop

 

[estragon]

The trademarking (registering of names with the Patent and Trademark Office) of names in connection with businesses long ago got to the point where people could not use their own birth names for their own businesses, as family members had trademarked the name for their businesses. The Taylor winemakers in New York State is a case in point.

 

[mynameisben]

On the subject of trademarks, would it be okay for a bowling alley, which has nothing to do with football, to call itself "Super Bowl?"

 

[lovecraft68]

On the subject of trademarks, would it be okay for a bowling alley, which has nothing to do with football, to call itself "Super Bowl?"

only if they added "ing alley" in very small print under it.

 

[lovecraft68]

This is about Jay-Z and Beyonce trademarking their daughter's name for future things. Just passing it on.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs.../03/gIQAOTDGnQ_blog.html?tid=pm_lifestyle_pop

You know, I am proud to say that I don't even know what this fucking brats name is, nor do I care if I ever hear it.

These are things America reads and thinks about, not anything like issues or problems. The average idiot who spends an hour a day on TMZ wouldn't be able to name one of the States Romney has won, but can tell you everything about the Kardashians or the latest episode of Pawn wars or any of the hundred "reality" shows flooding TV.

Ironic isn't it? Watching "reality" to escape reality?

 

[Darkniciad]

I know exactly how many delegates each of the Republican candidates has, that Romney stomped everyone in Nevada yesterday, that Maine's week-long caucus started yesterday, and just how utterly hopeless Newt's banking on the Southern states on Super Tuesday is.

And I happen to love Pawn Stars, American Pickers, American Restoration, Auction Hunters, and Storage Wars.

So bite me!

( Fuck TMZ, the Kardouchians, talent competitions, and all that celebrity crap, though )

 

[PennLady]

Okay, hold on there, some of you. I actually posted this b/c in other threads, talk of copyright and trademarking of characters names and other things has come up. Plus, I have to admit, I found it a little funny in that "sheesh" way.

Just b/c I found this and passed it on doesn't mean I keep up with this stuff regularly or watch reality TV or anything else. I've never watched a reality show, not even Idol or Real World, when it was the original one.

Give me my Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire.

 

[lovecraft68]

I know exactly how many delegates each of the Republican candidates has, that Romney stomped everyone in Nevada yesterday, that Maine's week-long caucus started yesterday, and just how utterly hopeless Newt's banking on the Southern states on Super Tuesday is.

And I happen to love Pawn Stars, American Pickers, American Restoration, Auction Hunters, and Storage Wars.

So bite me!

( Fuck TMZ, the Kardouchians, talent competitions, and all that celebrity crap, though )

But you, my friend are an anomaly and I'm sure you know that.

I will admit that I did get caught up in an episode of one of those shows, because someone called me and said that they were bidding blind on a ton of comic books. That was awhile ago though.

 

[litfan10]

Thank you both LC and Dark for cracking me and slave_ up so much! We agree with you both.

Honestly I don't know the exact counts on our wonderful delegates as I think they are all egotistical assholes who have no business being given the responsibility of opening a candy bar let alone run our country. Ain't democracy grand!

And while I have a TV there is no cable connection; I use it just for movies as I find the vast majority of TV causes blood to flow out of my ears within ten minutes of viewing. slave_ is educating me into things I've missed that actually are intelligent and entertaining. Bless the girl!

on another note, is it still true that writers cannot copyright or trademark titles of books, just the content? I remember working for a small local book chain when Danielle Steel released Daddy the exact same time another author released a World War II spy thriller of the same name and the havoc it caused for readers trying to get the WWII book.

 

[mynameisben]

There's a super high-bandwidth, fully immersive 3-D analogue to reality TV. It's called life, and it's infinitely more entertaining.

 

[lovecraft68]

There's a super high-bandwidth, fully immersive 3-D analogue to reality TV. It's called life, and it's infinitely more entertaining.

and far more unrealistic.

 

[lovecraft68]

Thank you both LC and Dark for cracking me and slave_ up so much! We agree with you both.

Honestly I don't know the exact counts on our wonderful delegates as I think they are all egotistical assholes who have no business being given the responsibility of opening a candy bar let alone run our country. Ain't democracy grand!

And while I have a TV there is no cable connection; I use it just for movies as I find the vast majority of TV causes blood to flow out of my ears within ten minutes of viewing. slave_ is educating me into things I've missed that actually are intelligent and entertaining. Bless the girl!

on another note, is it still true that writers cannot copyright or trademark titles of books, just the content? I remember working for a small local book chain when Danielle Steel released Daddy the exact same time another author released a World War II spy thriller of the same name and the havoc it caused for readers trying to get the WWII book.

Except for football and Sox games I have not watched more than a snippet of tv here and there in close to five years. I read, write, play darts and Pool, and spend time with the wife and the daughters when they have nothing better to do or want money and come by.

I have no time or inclination to rot my brain on TV I can do that in a variety of other ways. Posting here for instance.

On your question I don't think you can copy right a title because there are books with identical titles out there. My e-book is titled Broken and I have found about 6 others with that title in different genres
'
Of course I think mine is the only one with the sub title "Book One Siblings with Benefits." My family is so proud!

 

[litfan10]

Okay, a detour but this seems a great thread for this (thanks PennLady!!!)

I teach at a local college for over ten years and I've watched students becoming more and more narrow focused and much less skilled and aware. Well over three quarters of my students are all over facebook before, after (and some sneakily during) class. They can tell me all about Bachelor this, Bachelorette that, Kardashian this etc etc, yet they cannot put a series of sentences together on paper without committing all sorts of grammar and punctuation errors.

I usually get on a soapbox and hit them with all sorts of pop culture questions which they answer quickly and well. THEN I ask who is our governor.......silence. God help me: I've had students (MANY MORE THAN ONE) admit that they don't even know the name of the current President. I point out that they so quickly and passionately know all about so much inconsequential things, but the people who are directly impacting their daily living with making decisions influencing our participation in wars, the price of our gas, the funding available for their own college education and they don't know shit. Something is very wrong with this picture. And I can't change the channel!!!!!!

 

[lovecraft68]

Okay, a detour but this seems a great thread for this (thanks PennLady!!!)

I teach at a local college for over ten years and I've watched students becoming more and more narrow focused and much less skilled and aware. Well over three quarters of my students are all over facebook before, after (and some sneakily during) class. They can tell me all about Bachelor this, Bachelorette that, Kardashian this etc etc, yet they cannot put a series of sentences together on paper without committing all sorts of grammar and punctuation errors.

I usually get on a soapbox and hit them with all sorts of pop culture questions which they answer quickly and well. THEN I ask who is our governor.......silence. God help me: I've had students (MANY MORE THAN ONE) admit that they don't even know the name of the current President. I point out that they so quickly and passionately know all about so much inconsequential things, but the people who are directly impacting their daily living with making decisions influencing our participation in wars, the price of our gas, the funding available for their own college education and they don't know shit. Something is very wrong with this picture. And I can't change the channel!!!!!!

Blame the lazy assed parents who have allowed their kids to surf the net 24/7 and to have cell phones at the age of 10. They have let tv and the internet raise their kids for them.

And the reason the kids are like that is because the parents are as well it's like that old drug commercial

"Timmy! Where did you learn to tweet like that!"

"I learned it from watching you!!"

Parents who tweet have children who tweet!

 

[litfan10]

Blame the lazy assed parents who have allowed their kids to surf the net 24/7 and to have cell phones at the age of 10. They have let tv and the internet raise their kids for them.

And the reason the kids are like that is because the parents are as well it's like that old drug commercial

"Timmy! Where did you learn to tweet like that!"

"I learned it from watching you!!"

Parents who tweet have children who tweet!

Oh I'm more paranoid and angry than that..... Yes the lazy parents are a huge part of the problem, but I also blame largely the Mass Media conglomeration that have created this sense of drivel as life-altering importance in order to line their own pockets with as much money as they can sucker out of us over things of no value or importance. And the government that is lining its own pockets right along beside them. They like us stupid so they can rake us for more and more without breaking a sweat.

 

[lovecraft68]

Oh I'm more paranoid and angry than that..... Yes the lazy parents are a huge part of the problem, but I also blame largely the Mass Media conglomeration that have created this sense of drivel as life-altering importance in order to line their own pockets with as much money as they can sucker out of us over things of no value or importance. And the government that is lining its own pockets right along beside them. They like us stupid so they can rake us for more and more without breaking a sweat.

You know what? at the end of the day, it benefits us, the generation who can think away from the keyboard.

Its a whole new generation of lemmings and idiots to have our way with.

You know one time for the hell of it, I was talking to some kids at the Y about my beliefs. Now of course they are all raised Christian to some degree, so my spin on things was different than what they knew.

So I'm going on and on and they are eating it up. Now I'm getting into it and take it further and tell them I'm starting my own little church, would they want to join? They answered pretty damn quick and it frightened me. They will listen to anything, there is nothing in most (not all ) of these kids that resembles will power.

Hitler could happen again my friend and right here in this country. Oh, and in case you're wondering I did tell them I was only goofing about the church. Although I still have one that keeps asking me questions, but he seems to really want to learn so I gave him a couple of Aleister Crowley books, just waiting for the parents phone calls.

 

[mynameisben]

Oh I'm more paranoid and angry than that..... Yes the lazy parents are a huge part of the problem, but I also blame largely the Mass Media conglomeration that have created this sense of drivel as life-altering importance in order to line their own pockets with as much money as they can sucker out of us over things of no value or importance. And the government that is lining its own pockets right along beside them. They like us stupid so they can rake us for more and more without breaking a sweat.

This is exactly why whenever local and state budgets are in need of balancing, public school budgets are the first things politicians steal from. Affordable, public education for the masses is an insufferable conflict of interest.

 

[litfan10]

You know what? at the end of the day, it benefits us, the generation who can think away from the keyboard.

Its a whole new generation of lemmings and idiots to have our way with.

You know one time for the hell of it, I was talking to some kids at the Y about my beliefs. Now of course they are all raised Christian to some degree, so my spin on things was different than what they knew.

So I'm going on and on and they are eating it up. Now I'm getting into it and take it further and tell them I'm starting my own little church, would they want to join? They answered pretty damn quick and it frightened me. They will listen to anything, there is nothing in most (not all ) of these kids that resembles will power.

Hitler could happen again my friend and right here in this country. Oh, and in case you're wondering I did tell them I was only goofing about the church. Although I still have one that keeps asking me questions, but he seems to really want to learn so I gave him a couple of Aleister Crowley books, just waiting for the parents phone calls.

Sadly, I look at it as Hitler IS going to happen in this country, not could. The only saving grace I see is the current crop of politicians are so lazy and self absorbed they are so very transparent and little-minded. It's all the CEOs behind the scenes that make me nervous.

Honestly, your beliefs are more practical and realistic for a positive place in this society than any of the others, in fact many of them, certainly Catholicism, are right in the money grabbing bed with the rest of the power players making things worse.

 

[litfan10]

This is exactly why whenever local and state budgets are in need of balancing, public school budgets are the first things politicians steal from. Affordable, public education for the masses is an insufferable conflict of interest.

Exactly. We have lost all context with the importance of education in terms of intelligence and reasoning. It's all about spitting out facts for tests reducing us to the level of parrots. Then they can overcharge us for the whole wheat, gluten free crackers!

 

[sr71plt]

Well, when you habitually practice scapegoating by characterizing the representatives you've elected as idiots, you can't really expect your children to put much energy into remembering who they are or do anything but continue the sweeping generalization that the representatives you've elected are all idiots. (You can't even expect really good people to run for a very difficult job that you are just going to continue knee jerk characterizing as a job for idiots.)

On book titles, no they can't be copyrighted. Given acceptable reason why they could be brand names, the term could be trademarked--but that wouldn't be too easy to justify.

 

[litfan10]

Well, when you habitually practice scapegoating by characterizing the representatives you've elected as idiots, you can't really expect your children to put much energy into remembering who they are or do anything but continue the sweeping generalization that the representatives you've elected are all idiots. (You can't even expect really good people to run for a very difficult job that you are just going to continue knee jerk characterizing as a job for idiots.)

On book titles, no they can't be copyrighted. Given acceptable reason why they could be brand names, the term could be trademarked--but that wouldn't be too easy to justify.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the duty and position of all levels of our government. My problem is slowly through the decades if not century, those applying for the positions are motivated for the wrong reasons and intentions and big business and mass media are happily keeping them in place in order to see to their own ends. I have never, NEVER, voted for a representative that I had no respect for which sadly is the vast majority of them, but I participate in every election as is my civic responsibility and duty. There are some good politicians in the administration but they are very few and far between all because of the corruption by business and media principles.

And thank you for the copyrighting information, that is what I thought.

 

[mynameisben]

Well, when you habitually practice scapegoating by characterizing the representatives you've elected as idiots, you can't really expect your children to put much energy into remembering who they are or do anything but continue the sweeping generalization that the representatives you've elected are all idiots. (You can't even expect really good people to run for a very difficult job that you are just going to continue knee jerk characterizing as a job for idiots.)

It's not a knee-jerk reaction. Any thinking person can see the system is broken. Badly broken. U.S. politicians are NOT representing anybody but themselves. You can't blame the voter for making poor choices when all the choices are bad. Only the wealthy can mount credible campaigns in this country, by design. U.S. politicians -- all of them -- have demonstrated beyond all doubt that they will spare no taxpayer expense to ensure they retire as billionaires. It does not matter how many people they have to screw to do so. Quality education in this country runs into six figures, and that's no coincidence either. That's the way our "representative" millionaire politicians like it. They don't send their kids to public schools. They send their kids to ivy league schools for free, on your tax dollar. Politics in the U.S. is all about dumbing the masses and grabbing as much money as they can in the twilight days of a crumbling empire.

And nothing more.

 

[litfan10]

It's not a knee-jerk reaction. Any thinking person can see the system is broken. Badly broken. U.S. politicians are NOT representing anybody but themselves. You can't blame the voter for making poor choices when all the choices are bad. Only the wealthy can mount credible campaigns in this country, by design. U.S. politicians -- all of them -- have demonstrated beyond all doubt that they will spare no taxpayer expense to ensure they retire as billionaires. It does not matter how many people they have to screw to do so. Quality education in this country runs into six figures, and that's no coincidence either. That's the way our "representative" millionaire politicians like it. They don't send their kids to public schools. They send their kids to ivy league schools for free, on your tax dollar. Politics in the U.S. is all about dumbing the masses and grabbing as much money as they can in the twilight days of a crumbling empire.

And nothing more.

Exactly! and it seems the only progressive step in order to change this constructively was the occupy movement, but look how quickly the media moved in on that and all the celebrities flocked in to get their moment in the currently hip spotlight and how the whole thing fizzled and drizzled into obscurity.

I honestly don't know what it will take to fix our broken country, but even broken I have no intentions of being anything but American.

 

[sr71plt]

The system is NOT broken. American society is a very complex one. There are tears at the edges--there always have been--but nearly everything is up and running and you are benefiting from it. Have you lived anywhere else but the United States? Have you ever wondered what you're going to do if no one fixes in the electricity that's gone out before you want to turn on the TV you have that gives you an unlimited supply of mind-numbing ways to keep YOU from being a more productive member of society? Do you have to have a bodyguard to go to the grocery store, where there may be little or nothing on the shelves--certainly not the choices you can have any time day or night in a supermarket? Do you have to have a family member bring you your food in hospital or prison or you'll starve otherwise? Is there a street in front of your driveway that connects to other streets that get you to work? Where does your garbage go from your trash can and how does it get there? When your house is burning, who shows up? When you're driving on the road, who is ensuring that you don't always have a wreck within a block because there's no order being maintained? Who educated your children? How does clean water come to your house? Why don't you constantly get sick from the milk you drink? Who kept/keep the Russians, Chinese, Iranians (whoever; write in your favorite foreign fear) out of your living room?

When the towers were coming down, who was going up the stairs as everyone else tried to come down?

Quit your damn camplaining about the government which is cooking along doing things you wouldn't lower yourself to do and couldn't manage to get done even if you were willing to--and getting it done most of the time--and jolly well more quickly and effectively than many other places in the world do.

To the extent it doesn't work it's because there are a whole passel of folks like you who only complain and denigrate those who are actually making the system work and who aren't willing to go beyond "mememememe give it to memememe" self-centeredness and cheap sofa-quarterbacking to keep the system running.

What in the hell are you spending your time posting to a porn site rather than helping clean the system up if you really think it's BROKE? Why is that someone else's job other than yours?

 

[litfan10]

The system is NOT broken. American society is a very complex one. There are tears at the edges--there always have been--but nearly everything is up and running and you are benefiting from it. Have you lived anywhere else but the United States? Have you ever wondered what you're going to do if no one fixes in the electricity that's gone out before you want to turn on the TV you have that gives you an unlimited supply of mind-numbing ways to keep YOU from being a more productive member of society? Do you have to have a bodyguard to go to the grocery store, where there may be little or nothing on the shelves--certainly not the choices you can have any time day or night in a supermarket? Do you have to have a family member bring you your food in hospital or prison or you'll starve otherwise? Is there a street in front of your driveway that connects to other streets that get you to work? Where does your garbage go from your trash can and how does it get there? When your house is burning, who shows up? When you're driving on the road, who is ensuring that you don't always have a wreck within a block because there's no order being maintained? Who educated your children? How does clean water come to your house? Why don't you constantly get sick from the milk you drink? Who kept/keep the Russians, Chinese, Iranians (whoever; write in your favorite foreign fear) out of your living room?

When the towers were coming down, who was going up the stairs as everyone else tried to come down?

Quit your damn camplaining about the government which is cooking along doing things you wouldn't lower yourself to do and couldn't manage to get done even if you were willing to--and getting it done most of the time--and jolly well more quickly and effectively than many other places in the world do.

To the extent it doesn't work it's because there are a whole passel of folks like you who only complain and denigrate those who are actually making the system work and who aren't willing to go beyond "mememememe give it to memememe" self-centeredness and cheap sofa-quarterbacking to keep the system running.

What in the hell are you spending your time posting to a porn site rather than helping clean the system up if you really think it's BROKE? Why is that someone else's job other than yours?

Do you know who I am? Thanks for the sweeping generalizations. It is people like you who la-de-da; it is only torn at the edges whilst things are spiralling. Talk to me in ten years and we'll see.

I do work at cleaning up the system in several ways which you have no clue of, and I use this site to relax - I believe that is a right I have earned as well as the right to state my opinions.

Generally I have quite the respect for your words. In this case, especially with regards to me I see a lot of ignorance without a whit of substance.