Patent Law

Dells Cloud Computing Fiasco
Despite the generic nature of the term, “Cloud Computing,” Dell filed an intent-to-use application for a trademark registration for it. Nobody seemed to notice until a flurry of internet chatter roundly criticized Dell and the USPTO (example)...

Dell Moves to Trade Mark Cloud Computing
I’ve discovered through the latest Language Log column, “Trademark Insanity,” that Dell Computers has applied to have “cloud computing” registered as a trade mark in the U...

Language Log on "cloud computing"
A linguistics professor on the allowance of Dell's claimed trademark for "cloud computing," which I agree is descriptive at best without secondary meaning, and probably generic. The linguist at the end comes close to Lisa Ramsey's argument that descriptive trademarks shouldn't be registrable, though I wonder what he'd think of Coca-Cola.

Dell Receives Notice of Allowance for CLOUD COMPUTING
Wikipedia on Cloud Computing. Word Mark CLOUD COMPUTING Goods and Services: IC 040. Custom manufacture of computer hardware for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others IC 042 Design of computer hardware for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others; customization of computer hardware for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others; design and development of networks for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others; Consulting services for data centers and mega-scale computing environments in the fields of design, selection, implementation, customization and use of computer hardware and software systems for others; Consulting services for data centers and mega-scale computing environments in the fields of design, selection, implementation, customization and use of computer hardware and software systems for others Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK Serial Number 77139082 Filing Date March 23, 2007 Published for Opposition April 15, 2008 Owner (APPLICANT) Dell Inc...

Shot to Dell
Dell’s CLOUD COMPUTING trademark application has gone up in a vapory mass of smoke: Dell cannot register “cloud computing” as a trademark because the term is a generic one describing services offered by many companies, the U...

Dell’s cloudy IP planning
Has anyone figured this out? Dell’s newly-acquired trademark for the term “cloud computing” may have all the durability of a glass hammer, meaning it will shatter the first time they try to use it...

Adidas Imitators
Payless Shoesource to pay $304.6 million settlement in trademark lawsuit.