Andrew,
In a message dated 97-03-24 11:44:14 EST, you write:
<< I find it strange that the
term "3D printing" can be trademarked - it's like saying "moulding"
or "machining" can be trademarked!?! >>
Apparently there are trademarks and there are trademarks.
I'm told that, in the US, in order to have a trademark with any real strength
one must (among other things) avoid a merely descriptive use of ordinary
words. In other words, one should add some creative component to a
"trademark," before depending on it for much.
Your point seems to have some merit, since there is ample evidence of phrases
such as "three-dimensional art," three-dimensional photography,"
"three-dimensional painting,' and even "three-dimensional printing" in print
before MIT's "3D Printing" showed up.
{{If one wanted to protect "Tuna Fish Sandwich," it might help to switch to
"TF Sandwich," but I'm not sure if the switch from "Three-Dimensional
Printing" to "3D Printing" would have similar value in court.}}
Norman Kinzie
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Jun 05 2001 - 22:39:27 EEST