Heh. As an american my personal favorite from the UK is the use of the name "Tannoy" as a generic term for a public paging system. "Mr. Smith? Just a moment, let me tannoy him." Had me rolling on the floor the first time I heard that.
But many company names become generic, such as "make a xerox of that letter," "fedex that package right away," etc. Language is fun.
Several companies will go out of their way to make sure nobody uses their name as a generic term to varying degrees of success.
You will never hear any of the employees refer to their brand name as a general catchall (at least not officially).
A Kleenex is not a kleenex - it's a facial tissue.
A Xerox machine does not xerox things. It copies them.
Coca-Cola is not a Coke. It's a soft drink.
Band-Aids are not band-aids. They are adhesive bandages.
But some don't succeed... Aspirin, for example.
I'm most amused by Heroin. It was trademarked at one time.
In other news, Microsoft has applied for a trademark on the letter "e". This follows closely on the heels of their failed attempt to trademark the letter "a" two years ago. If this application is approved, everyone who uses the letter 'e" in any corporate name, correspondence, research, and conversation will have to pay licensing fees to Microsoft. This would include hardware licensing of keyboards that continue to be sold with the "e" key. A trade group is investigating the possible workaround of using double i "ii" as a phonetic substitute but Nintendo is said to be blocking infringement on its "Wii" trademark.
I hate to rain on your effort at levity, but in fact a letter can be trademarked, if only for a limited purpose. Just try to start your own magazine called "O" if you think I'm making this up. Guess who's lawyers will be in your face in a New York minute?
I hate to rain on your effort at levity, but in fact a letter can be trademarked, if only for a limited purpose. Just try to start your own magazine called "O" if you think I'm making this up. Guess who's lawyers will be in your face in a New York minute?
Rain, rain, go away...
Seriously, I certainly didn't think of that aspect. Maybe if it was Ö? Nah, probably not.
And what if you are naming a store that happens to sell apps?
And what if your naming a store that happens to sell products made by Apple?
crux of the matter is that you want a name for your business that is unique. If you want to name your store "The Shoe Store" or "The Toy Store" or "The (whatever product you're selling) Store" you can. The problem is that if you're selling a product that's been around for a long time, there are already hundreds if not thousands of stores that are already using that product name in their store name. Therefore it will not be unique. Your store name will get lost whenever some say "I'm going to "The Toy Store". Or I bought this at "The Shoe Store". Plus all those other stores that are using the product name in their store name can protest because it might confuse the consumers.
However, if you are the first or one of the best known of a few stores to sell the product your selling, then being the first to naming it "The (whatever you call it) Store" has it's benefits. Now when some say I bought this at "The (Whatever) Store" everyone will assume they bought it from you.
When you're naming a product, being too generic will prevent you from getting the trademark. However, when naming your business, it's the businesses that already exist that will most likely prevent you from getting the trademark. Specially if there's any chance of the consumers confusing your business name with theirs.
Apple Records did not sue Apple Computer because "Apple" was too generic. They sued because there was a chance that consumers might confuse the two businesses because of their similar name. If Microsoft or any other company already had a trademarked name that used the term "app", then they would have a strong case that might prevent the trademark of "The App Store". But just because they think the word "app" is too generic will not stop the trademark when it's part of a business name.
Did anyone sued to stop "The Apple Store" from getting trademarked? "Apple" is a generic word if you never heard of "Apple, Inc". There might be confused consumers out there that think they can buy apples at "The Apple Store".
But in general, the Windows versions of apps are more full-featured and have fewer bugs compared to the OSX version, if any such version is available.
And the software written by Microsoft itself (for regular computers, anyways) is always first-rate.
is that sarcasm or are you an idiot ?
If the former, then I missed it, if the later, I will send the van around so the guys in white can make you all nice and cozy with a special jacket that has really long sleeves.
But in general, the Windows versions of apps are more full-featured and have fewer bugs compared to the OSX version, if any such version is available.
And the software written by Microsoft itself (for regular computers, anyways) is always first-rate.
Is that sarcasm or are you an idiot ?
If the former, then I missed it, if the later, I will send the van around so the guys in white can make you all nice and cozy with a special jacket that has really long sleeves.
It is certainly the case for Flash and MS Office. I'm not sure about the rest of the Adobe Suite.
Safari is better on OSX and iTunes is shocking on Windows (it's currently running 7 separate processes and sucking up a combined 410MB RAM) so those two go back the other way.
I'm sure you could make a list of major software suites and their capabilities on Windows/OSX to verify/disprove his statement as opposed to getting him taken away to a mental institution!
I actually agree with Microsoft on this one. It is too generic a term. Whether Windows is also too generic a term is besides the point. However, where Microsoft is stupid is that it wouldn't be a big deal to call their store something other than App Store. They can call it the Windows Solution Store or something like that.
Slogan: "Windows Solution Store (WSS)...for wusses"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecphorizer
Heh. As an american my personal favorite from the UK is the use of the name "Tannoy" as a generic term for a public paging system. "Mr. Smith? Just a moment, let me tannoy him." Had me rolling on the floor the first time I heard that.
But many company names become generic, such as "make a xerox of that letter," "fedex that package right away," etc. Language is fun.
Xerox actually spends a good bit of money trying to prevent that. Much like Coca Cola going after restaurants for using 'coke' as a generic term.
If the former, then I missed it, if the later, I will send the van around so the guys in white can make you all nice and cozy with a special jacket that has really long sleeves.
It's true for μTorrent. Other than that, I've not come across Windows software better than an Apple alternative.
Comments
Heh. As an american my personal favorite from the UK is the use of the name "Tannoy" as a generic term for a public paging system. "Mr. Smith? Just a moment, let me tannoy him." Had me rolling on the floor the first time I heard that.
But many company names become generic, such as "make a xerox of that letter," "fedex that package right away," etc. Language is fun.
Several companies will go out of their way to make sure nobody uses their name as a generic term to varying degrees of success.
You will never hear any of the employees refer to their brand name as a general catchall (at least not officially).
A Kleenex is not a kleenex - it's a facial tissue.
A Xerox machine does not xerox things. It copies them.
Coca-Cola is not a Coke. It's a soft drink.
Band-Aids are not band-aids. They are adhesive bandages.
But some don't succeed... Aspirin, for example.
I'm most amused by Heroin. It was trademarked at one time.
In other news, Microsoft has applied for a trademark on the letter "e". This follows closely on the heels of their failed attempt to trademark the letter "a" two years ago. If this application is approved, everyone who uses the letter 'e" in any corporate name, correspondence, research, and conversation will have to pay licensing fees to Microsoft. This would include hardware licensing of keyboards that continue to be sold with the "e" key. A trade group is investigating the possible workaround of using double i "ii" as a phonetic substitute but Nintendo is said to be blocking infringement on its "Wii" trademark.
I hate to rain on your effort at levity, but in fact a letter can be trademarked, if only for a limited purpose. Just try to start your own magazine called "O" if you think I'm making this up. Guess who's lawyers will be in your face in a New York minute?
I hate to rain on your effort at levity, but in fact a letter can be trademarked, if only for a limited purpose. Just try to start your own magazine called "O" if you think I'm making this up. Guess who's lawyers will be in your face in a New York minute?
Rain, rain, go away...
Seriously, I certainly didn't think of that aspect. Maybe if it was Ö? Nah, probably not.
Windows Mobile 7 Store 2011: App Edition
Like SongSmith should have been Microsoft Band 2009: Garage Edition.
And what if you are naming a store that happens to sell apps?
And what if your naming a store that happens to sell products made by Apple?
crux of the matter is that you want a name for your business that is unique. If you want to name your store "The Shoe Store" or "The Toy Store" or "The (whatever product you're selling) Store" you can. The problem is that if you're selling a product that's been around for a long time, there are already hundreds if not thousands of stores that are already using that product name in their store name. Therefore it will not be unique. Your store name will get lost whenever some say "I'm going to "The Toy Store". Or I bought this at "The Shoe Store". Plus all those other stores that are using the product name in their store name can protest because it might confuse the consumers.
However, if you are the first or one of the best known of a few stores to sell the product your selling, then being the first to naming it "The (whatever you call it) Store" has it's benefits. Now when some say I bought this at "The (Whatever) Store" everyone will assume they bought it from you.
When you're naming a product, being too generic will prevent you from getting the trademark. However, when naming your business, it's the businesses that already exist that will most likely prevent you from getting the trademark. Specially if there's any chance of the consumers confusing your business name with theirs.
Apple Records did not sue Apple Computer because "Apple" was too generic. They sued because there was a chance that consumers might confuse the two businesses because of their similar name. If Microsoft or any other company already had a trademarked name that used the term "app", then they would have a strong case that might prevent the trademark of "The App Store". But just because they think the word "app" is too generic will not stop the trademark when it's part of a business name.
Did anyone sued to stop "The Apple Store" from getting trademarked? "Apple" is a generic word if you never heard of "Apple, Inc". There might be confused consumers out there that think they can buy apples at "The Apple Store".
But in general, the Windows versions of apps are more full-featured and have fewer bugs compared to the OSX version, if any such version is available.
And the software written by Microsoft itself (for regular computers, anyways) is always first-rate.
is that sarcasm or are you an idiot ?
If the former, then I missed it, if the later, I will send the van around so the guys in white can make you all nice and cozy with a special jacket that has really long sleeves.
But in general, the Windows versions of apps are more full-featured and have fewer bugs compared to the OSX version, if any such version is available.
And the software written by Microsoft itself (for regular computers, anyways) is always first-rate.
Is that sarcasm or are you an idiot ?
If the former, then I missed it, if the later, I will send the van around so the guys in white can make you all nice and cozy with a special jacket that has really long sleeves.
It is certainly the case for Flash and MS Office. I'm not sure about the rest of the Adobe Suite.
Safari is better on OSX and iTunes is shocking on Windows (it's currently running 7 separate processes and sucking up a combined 410MB RAM) so those two go back the other way.
I'm sure you could make a list of major software suites and their capabilities on Windows/OSX to verify/disprove his statement as opposed to getting him taken away to a mental institution!
I actually agree with Microsoft on this one. It is too generic a term. Whether Windows is also too generic a term is besides the point. However, where Microsoft is stupid is that it wouldn't be a big deal to call their store something other than App Store. They can call it the Windows Solution Store or something like that.
Slogan: "Windows Solution Store (WSS)...for wusses"
Heh. As an american my personal favorite from the UK is the use of the name "Tannoy" as a generic term for a public paging system. "Mr. Smith? Just a moment, let me tannoy him." Had me rolling on the floor the first time I heard that.
But many company names become generic, such as "make a xerox of that letter," "fedex that package right away," etc. Language is fun.
Xerox actually spends a good bit of money trying to prevent that. Much like Coca Cola going after restaurants for using 'coke' as a generic term.
Oh, I'm sorry, did I suddenly make you look even more clueless?
Ah... no. Not at all.
The only thing you achieved was to make yourself look like an arrogant twat. Congratulations...?
is that sarcasm or are you an idiot ?
If the former, then I missed it, if the later, I will send the van around so the guys in white can make you all nice and cozy with a special jacket that has really long sleeves.
It's true for μTorrent. Other than that, I've not come across Windows software better than an Apple alternative.
"App Store" iOS application released July 11, 2008
"App Store" Mac OSX software released January 6, 2011
Apple doesn't only hold the trademark on the name of a software repository.
Next lawsuit in the pipe:
Apple V. Mad Mex (Big Burrito Restaurant Group)