[Elecraft] Finger Dimple isn't a "bad" word...

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Ha! John is right, but there's no need for anyone writing a letter or =
e-mail
to worry.=20

Keeping track of a trade mark is an unending frustration for the owner =
but
not for the rest of us. At worst all you have to do is mention that it's =
a
registered TM when you use it IF you know that it is. You don't even =
need to
say who owns it, just acknowledge that it IS a trade mark and, of =
course,
don't try to sell your own product using that name! In something like
e-mails you don't even have to do that.=20

The folks at 3M  who created "Scotch Tape" or Johnson and Johnson =
(owners of
"Band-Aid") among many others could give everyone reams and reams of =
horror
stories about the cost and craziness of protecting, and losing, a trade
mark.=20

I'm a simple writer, not a lawyer, but my legal resources tell me that
there's really NOTHING wrong with using a common pair of words like =
"Finger
Dimple" in print without any credit, or in any context as long as I'm =
not
trying to take advantage of the owner's trademark. We are NOT required =
to
study the databases before writing something. For example, "dimple" was =
a
trade-mark of the Polaroid Corporation until they abandoned it last year =
and
they didn't send me any letters saying not to use it when describing
a...er... "dimple"). =20

The situation that John describes below is a classic example of where =
K8FF
had BETTER speak up to protect his "property" since it involves =
attaching
his name to a similar device.=20

That said, I notice that the US Patent and Trademark Office doesn't
recognize "Finger Dimple" as a registered or pending Trade Mark. (See
http://www.uspto.gov/. Click on the trademark search on the left column =
to
reach "TESS" - the Trademark Electronic Search System.) I get no =
responses
to Finger Dimple or FingerDimple or Finger-Dimple. For a known =
"trademark"
look up "Elecraft" for example. =20

So how far "off topic" can we stray here? My point is only that one =
should
NOT worry about mentioning a "finger dimple"... Or "Elecraft" for that
matter<G> in your correspondence.=20

BTW, be careful of "TESS", she's a seductive mistress. You can spend =
hours
and hours roaming her archives and her partner's the "USPTO Patent and
Full-Text Image Database" when you could be building and operating...=20

Ron AC7AC


-----Original Message-----

I have 3 of Bob's (Canadian) "Finger Tip Tuning Devices." When the=20
FingerDimple (TM), was announced by K8FF amongst much praise for the=20
"original idea" and "brilliant thinking" I had the temerity to mention =
that=20
the idea was NOT original, but was Bob's. I was informed that the=20
Fingerdimple(TM) WAS a registered name by K8FF, and any reference to =
Bob's=20
device by that name was incorrect and illegal. So call it what you will =
at=20
your own risk.

--=20
John W2AGN
http://w2agn.net _______________________________________________