🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <20263@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> munson@renoir.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Ethan V. Munson) writes:
>
> [...]
>
>Note:  Just think how much money you could make as a fly-by-night purveyor
>oF Korean computers if your company has a figurehead president whose last name
>is MacIntosh. (Trademarks are not supposed to prevent people from using 
>their legal name on any product they sell themselves)  I'm sure Apple has
>thought of this.
>

A man named Robert Corr (and his wife, whose name I don't recall at 
the moment, but who was also a significant entrepreneurial player)
founded a company that sold "natural" sodas, in flavors like Ginseng
Rush and Mandarin Lime.  These sodas were packaged in cans with the name
"Corr's" printed in script on the side.  After achiving significant
sales, Mr. Corr's company was sued not too long ago by none other 
than the (Joseph) Coors breweries, presumably for trademark 
infringement.  If you've noticed, the cans of "Corr's" on the super-
market shelves now also bear the name "Robert," in slightly smaller 
letters, possibly as a direct outcome of this litigation.  Apparently,
at least in this case, the potential for brand confusion was given some 
consideration when weighed against Mr. Corr's right to use his own 
name as a product trademark.

I believe that the pop artist and "synthesizer wiz" Thomas Dolby 
("She Blinded Me with Science"), who changed his name so that 
"Dolby," formerly one of his two middle names, became his last name, 
also ran into a court battle with the company holding the rights to 
the Dolby recording process.  To the best of my recollection, the 
performer prevailed over the company. 

By the way, one of the ubiquitous "Apple reps on the net"--to whom we
all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for their active and worthy
participation here in comp.sys.mac--pointed out earlier this year 
that Apple has reached an agreement with McIntosh Laboratories and
no longer has to include its disclaimer about the Macintosh trademark
being licensed from the audio equipment maker.

   Aron Roberts  Tolman Microcomputer Facility     
                 1535 Tolman Hall, University of California
                 Berkeley, CA 94720  (415) 642-2251
                 csaron@opal.Berkeley.EDU  CSARON@UCBCMSA.BITNET