[kictanet] US Supreme Court asked to nullify the Google trademark

[Ngigi Waithaka]

The moment your copyright becomes a verb in English, you've lost half the
battle to holding onto it.

Today its very normal to just say I *googled*  as opposed to "...I searched
for it on Google..."

And I am sure you wouldn't want everyone saying googled/google it etc being
sued for Copyright infringement, right?

Regards

On Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 4:29 PM, Ahmed Mohamed Maawy via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> I think its quite unfair to have a company like Google who have built a
> brand name that went all the way to be "generisized" to actually not be
> given the right to trademark. So what implications does it have then to
> their company? I mean.. you can't just say someone set up a company and
> called it "Sufuria".
>
> Plus also Google is not just search but a varierty of products. All
> unrelated to Search. But the implications of this are even further than
> this. Does it mean that when you open DuckDuckGo or MSN search youd end up
> seeing "DuckDuckGo Google" or "MSN Google"?
>
> To make matters worse lets not even think about Google to begin with and
> start thinking about what people will say about "Alphabet"... :D
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 3:45 PM, Ali Hussein via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Listers
>>
>> Interesting development.
>>
>> Is the term "google" too generic and therefore unworthy of its trademark
>> protection? That's the question before the US Supreme Court.
>>
>> Words like teleprompter, thermos, hoover, aspirin, and videotape were
>> once trademarked. They lost the status after their names became too generic
>> and fell victim to what is known as "genericide."
>>
>> What's before the Supreme Court is a trademark lawsuit that Google
>> already defeated in a lower court. The lawsuit claims that Google should no
>> longer be trademarked because the word "google" is synonymous to the public
>> with the term "search the Internet."
>>
>> US Supreme Court asked to nullify the Google trademark
>> <https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/supreme-court-asked-to-nullify-the-google-trademark/>
>>
>> What are the implications in the Kenyan context?
>>
>> Have you heard guys using Airtel Money saying 'Mpesa me please?' :-)
>>
>> Should governments even think about this? It's ludicrous that we are even
>> discussing this.. :-)
>>
>> *Ali Hussein*
>>
>> *Principal*
>>
>> *Hussein & Associates*
>>
>>
>>
>> Tel: +254 713 601113
>>
>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>
>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>
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>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>
>>
>> 13th Floor , Delta Towers, Oracle Wing,
>>
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>>
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>
>
> --
> *Ahmed Maawy*
> Head of Corporate Products - Al Jazeera Media Network
> Skype: ultimateprogramer
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
>


-- 
*Regards,*

*Wait**haka Ngigi*
Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod Building
T +254 20 525 0750 |Office Mobile: +254 716 201061 | M +254 737 811 000
www.at.co.ke
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