POD People
…in public product protection pugilistics.
Apple has laid legal claim to the word “Pod,” arguing that other companies that use the word as part of their product names risk infringing the trademark of its popular iPod music player.
…This month, Google drew attention to its own long-running battle to defend the trademark in its name when it wrote to the Washington Post to protest the use of the verb “to google,” though examples of similar warning letters date back at least four years.
…Dave Ellison, whose company, Mach5Products, makes the Profit Pod, said he had been sent a “cease and desist” request by Apple’s lawyers last week, just after receiving trademark recognition for his product name in the US.
…Mr Ellison contested Apple’s claim, arguing that his company’s product was not sold to consumers and that he and his wife, Carolee, had thought up the name around five years ago, before they had heard of the iPod, which was introduced in 2001. “I’m not going to change the name – it’s not like they offered us anything for it,” he said.
Fun | tree hugging sister | 
August 15, 2006 9:08 am
Subscribe
Apple’s lawyers are well renowned as being assholes.
Well-deserved, too.
Stupid. The word is in common english usage. Sue the freakin’ Whales for living in pods, why don’t they?
Maybe the pea plant has deep pockets.
Donald Sutherland has deep pockets.
I thought Mike Renter was a pod person. Shouldn’t he be calling his lawyer, just in case?
The ‘really funny’ Mike IS a POD person ~ put on this earth as a decoy when aliens take the ‘humor gene challenged’ Mike away to do whatever they do to you during abductions.