■"W.T.O. Said to Weigh In on Product Names," by Paul Meller, New York Times, 19 November 2004, p. W1.
Interesting article on how WTO has to work through issues with companies that share very similar names but want to operate in each other’s traditional markets.
Why of interest to me?
A while back I seek trademark protection for the phrase, “A Future Worth Creating.”
Yesterday I get a letter from a Hawaii attorney representing a Everett W. James, who markets Neuro Linguistic Programming under the trademark, “Creating your future.” What’s NLP? Basically subliminal therapy. The letter is your basic “back off buddy!”
Is my phrase close enough? At least you might have an argument there, but it’s a weak one, grammatically speaking.
How about the second big test for trademark protection: that I might steal some of this guy’s business?
Hmmm. Let’s say I’m the government of India and I want to contract Thomas Barnett’s consulting company for global strategic thinking.
Oh . . . what the hell! How about some self-help tapes instead!
[cut to the PM of India lying in bed with headphones on]
“I’m big enough militarily, and I’m smart enough in information technology and . . . damn it! Great powers like me!”
Thing is, this guy’s claim covers books as well. Sounds like a job for G.P. Putnam . . . and Sons!
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