Learn more about Psion, the company that trademarked the word "netbook" in 2000. You'll recall that the company sent cease and desist letters to certain websites that used the term "netbook" and even got Google to remove "netbook." Campaigns from his Ad Words advertising program. Guess who isn't too happy about all this? Dell.
Dell has filed a petition to have Psion's trademark removed, citing the following:
Psion claims that it started offering laptops under the Netbook brand around 1999. To the best of our knowledge and belief, Psion does not currently offer any laptops under the Netbook brand in normal commercial transactions. Psion has given up the "netbook" brand.Fraud was also cited, as a senior product manager at Psion apparently claimed that the company was actively using the term for its notebooks when it wasn't. "Genericness" was another reason - Dell claimed that many companies (Dell, HP , Lenovo, Aver, ASUS, Sony, Sylvania, Samsung, MSI, LG and Fujitsu) all manufacture netbooks, and as such the term has become generic.
According to the documents, the status of Psion's trademark application is "Cancellation Pending" so it appears the term will soon be fair game.
The Save the Netbooks blog also sent the following message to Google, appealing for the "netbook" Adwords ban to be lifted:
From: Save the NetbooksDate: Thursday 19 Feb 2009 2:10 PM Subject: Public complaint about the "NETBOOK" trademark pending deletionTo: Google Advertising Legal Support Team
Dear Sir/Madam, Psion Teklogix's "NETBOOK" trademark is now the subject of a cancellation request[1] filed by Dell Computer, Inc. based on:
* Disclaimer * Genericness and * Fraud
Accordingly, we believe it is inappropriate to maintain a ban on a brand term that is now clearly unenforceable, as many businesses (including Google's) will be harmed throughout the duration of this ban.
Save the Netbookshttp://www.savethenetbooks.com/
1. http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=92050564&pty=CAN&eno=1
[via PC Advisor]
