If Psion’s “netbook” trademarks are good enough for Google they’re good enough for the rest of us, right? Not necessarily. While this is a victory chalked up for the visitors it is less significant than it has been made out to be. Furthermore, reversing it now could well prove the death knell for Psion’s marks (it would be far worse to have this victory briefly than to have not had it in the first place). Here’s hoping that Google do the right thing sooner rather than later.
Fortunately it shouldn’t be all that difficult. Here’s why…

The “Save the Netbooks” campaign is fighting the impending trademark threat
from Psion Teklogix, who have given until the end of March 2009 to cease using
the term, citing trademarks relating to a line of products discontinued over 5
years ago.

For more information visit http://www.savethenetbooks.com/.

Christoph

Although Psion had a device called a ‘netbook’ years ago, they no longer make or sell such a product, and the term as since evolved to refer to a common genre of small, internet-oriented personal computer devices – i.e. the term ‘netbook’ has become genericized to refer to a class of products that came about on their own as part of a broader and inevitable trend in technology and social development, rather than to a specific brand of long-since-discontinued product that had little to no effect on the development of this trend.

I can understand that Psion has to launch these letters and suits to show they are actively trying to protect their trademark as part of the use it or lose it requirements of general trademark law. No doubt Google’s lawyers probably did a thorough review of the law and their liabilities, but I wonder maybe if TM law needs to evolve to account for inevitable trends in socio-technological development, lest is constrain societies broader interests in developing and marketing products that are of interest and benefit to people that are capable of greater success in the market.

Just some thoughts. Peace-out.

portable-computer-formerly-known-as-netbook ;)

I would guess that Intel could come in and write a big huge check for it. Then because they then own the trademark, issue guidelines on how it should be used. Maybe not. Maybe they do the right thing and push it into open source. Or maybe a consortium of OEMS and manufacturers buck up and make the investment….

Worst case, industry needs to use a different term. Some have used the term “mini-notebooks”, maybe “minis”, maybe “internetbook”, maybe “ibook”.