Comments on: Trademark guidelines make for unclear copy http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy How to communicate Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:19:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Bad Language / My own private aircraft carrier http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-351084 Bad Language / My own private aircraft carrier Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:46:25 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-351084 [...] If you are wondering why I write LEGO in all-caps, it’s because of their copy / trademark guidelines. It’s been ten years or so since I was designing LEGO games for them but I still can’t help myself. For more on this topic see: Trademark Guidelines make for unclear copy. [...] [...] If you are wondering why I write LEGO in all-caps, it’s because of their copy / trademark guidelines. It’s been ten years or so since I was designing LEGO games for them but I still can’t help myself. For more on this topic see: Trademark Guidelines make for unclear copy. [...]

]]> By: Jonathan Pasky http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-331500 Jonathan Pasky Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:30:44 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-331500 Matthew, As an IP attorney, I understand your frustration. Constant "marking", as it is called, is used to give notice to the consuming public that a particular word or symbol is being claimed as a trademark/servicemark (™) and/or is registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (®). Sometimes this can get out of hand in marketing copy. While companies understandably want to protect their marks, one or two very conspicuous uses of ™ or ® should be sufficient. Trademarks/servicemarks always need to be used as an adjective decribing the product or service: so "Adobe® Acrobat® 8 Professional software" or "Adobe® software" is ok, but calling it "Adobe Acrobat" nominalizes "Acrobat" and dilutes the trademark. Savvy marketing/PR/copy experts will give proper notice but keep the attorneys and brand managers happy with minimal, but very noticeable, proper notice in the copy. Matthew,

As an IP attorney, I understand your frustration. Constant “marking”, as it is called, is used to give notice to the consuming public that a particular word or symbol is being claimed as a trademark/servicemark (™) and/or is registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (®).

Sometimes this can get out of hand in marketing copy. While companies understandably want to protect their marks, one or two very conspicuous uses of ™ or ® should be sufficient.

Trademarks/servicemarks always need to be used as an adjective decribing the product or service: so “Adobe® Acrobat® 8 Professional software” or “Adobe® software” is ok, but calling it “Adobe Acrobat” nominalizes “Acrobat” and dilutes the trademark. Savvy marketing/PR/copy experts will give proper notice but keep the attorneys and brand managers happy with minimal, but very noticeable, proper notice in the copy.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-325941 David Bradley Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:37:10 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-325941 Tom, shouldn't that be <em>Intra</em>Word Capitalisation(TM) db Tom, shouldn’t that be IntraWord Capitalisation(TM)

db

]]> By: MarketingBlurb http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-325552 MarketingBlurb Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:55:47 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-325552 <strong>When Trademarks Get in the Way...</strong> I read a great post by Matthew Stibbe at Bad Language this week that talks about a topic that has always bothered me - trademark symbols.  Now, I'm not saying I don't like the legal purpose of trademarks.  I'm all...... When Trademarks Get in the Way…

I read a great post by Matthew Stibbe at Bad Language this week that talks about a topic that has always bothered me - trademark symbols.  Now, I'm not saying I don't like the legal purpose of trademarks.  I'm all……

]]> By: Jacob Skir http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-324551 Jacob Skir Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:59:05 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-324551 Matthew, the great way to invent a new name is to think about your own personal name. What is the Google's term "PageRank"? What does it stand for? Does it stand for the word "page" (= a page of an Internet site)? Or for the name of the Google's cofounder Larry Page? At the end of the day, it makes no difference. You invent a new word pointing both to your personal name and to the technical/scientific/political term. Another great example is the memorable PR move of Russian tsar Peter the Great. He founded the city of Saint Petersburg in 1703. What's the official explanation? That it was named after Saint Peter the Apostle. Then why not to name it after Saint Paul? Because Peter himself named it. A fresh Internet example is Craigslist (a centralized network of online classified advertisements) founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark. When you invent a new term, try to think about your own personal name. Matthew,
the great way to invent a new name is to think about your own personal name.
What is the Google’s term “PageRank”? What does it stand for? Does it stand for the word “page” (= a page of an Internet site)? Or for the name of the Google’s cofounder Larry Page?
At the end of the day, it makes no difference. You invent a new word pointing both to your personal name and to the technical/scientific/political term.
Another great example is the memorable PR move of Russian tsar Peter the Great. He founded the city of Saint Petersburg in 1703. What’s the official explanation? That it was named after Saint Peter the Apostle. Then why not to name it after Saint Paul? Because Peter himself named it.
A fresh Internet example is Craigslist (a centralized network of online classified advertisements) founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark.
When you invent a new term, try to think about your own personal name.

]]> By: Bruce Pilgrim http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323892 Bruce Pilgrim Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:20:41 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323892 I worked with a corporate lawyer who tried to get me to insert trademarks into quotes cited in case studies, as in: "We've been using Widget(R) software to cure genital warts with great success." I explained to her that people don't actually speak that way, but she always insisted. So I ignored her. I worked with a corporate lawyer who tried to get me to insert trademarks into quotes cited in case studies, as in:

“We’ve been using Widget(R) software to cure genital warts with great success.”

I explained to her that people don’t actually speak that way, but she always insisted. So I ignored her.

]]> By: Tom Chandler http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323601 Tom Chandler Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:50:06 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323601 Sadly, I witnessed the rise of that most hideous of naming conventions -- Excessive InterWord CapitaliZation SynDrome. How many good product names went under the wheels of this grammatically out-of-control bus? Distantly, The CopyWriter UnderGround Sadly, I witnessed the rise of that most hideous of naming conventions — Excessive InterWord CapitaliZation SynDrome.

How many good product names went under the wheels of this grammatically out-of-control bus?

Distantly,
The CopyWriter UnderGround

]]> By: iPhone » Blog Archive » Trademark guidelines make for unclear copy http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323504 iPhone » Blog Archive » Trademark guidelines make for unclear copy Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:40:28 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323504 [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...] [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]

]]> By: John McGarvey http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323432 John McGarvey Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:27:30 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323432 This is one of my pet hates - it probably comes from having to cope with Microsoft product names in the past. All those ™s and ®s do nothing for the readability of text. And they look hideous. I blame the lawyers. This is one of my pet hates - it probably comes from having to cope with Microsoft product names in the past. All those ™s and ®s do nothing for the readability of text. And they look hideous.

I blame the lawyers.

]]> By: Apple Ipod, Ipod Nano and Ipod Video News » Trademark guidelines make for unclear copy http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323403 Apple Ipod, Ipod Nano and Ipod Video News » Trademark guidelines make for unclear copy Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:54:02 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/trademark-guidelines-make-for-unclear-copy#comment-323403 [...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt In many big companies, intellectual property protection - trademarks and registered marks - drive product naming. I’ve worked on several projects in November that suffered from overwrought names. Some examples (not necessarily from my work): Intel® Centrino® Pro™ processor technology The 2007 Microsoft Office system Adobe® Acrobat® 8 Professional software The problem is that there is little flexibility in the way writers can use these phrases. In some cases, a five-word name with three tra [...] [...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt In many big companies, intellectual property protection - trademarks and registered marks - drive product naming. I’ve worked on several projects in November that suffered from overwrought names. Some examples (not necessarily from my work): Intel® Centrino® Pro™ processor technology The 2007 Microsoft Office system Adobe® Acrobat® 8 Professional software The problem is that there is little flexibility in the way writers can use these phrases. In some cases, a five-word name with three tra [...]

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