Hands Off My Hemisphere!

I thought Microsoft trying to patent a scrolling menu for video-on-demand was pretty brazen. They've got nothing on Honeywell, which is claiming a trademark on, well… round. Round thermostats, that is. I'm actually all in favor: companies in every industry should start snapping up the basic geometric shapes, forcing competitors to design strange Dali-esque alternatives. (Via boingboing.)

Comments

[Warren]

yet more news from the runnaway intellectual property state

[Xrlq]

Hey, if Harley-Davidson can trademark motorcyle engines that run badly, why not this, too?

[Anonymous]

Warren, did you know that the octagonal shape of the stop sign is the intellectual property of the state -- runaway, or otherwise?

[amorphus]

Hey, moron, did you know that the ROUND presidential seal is also the intellectual property of the state -- runaway, or otherwise?

[Plutarck]

If people can patent the letters "G", "PG", and letter-number combinations "PG-13" and "NC-17" - but not "X" - then I will simply believe just about almost anything.

[Anonymous]

Careful! "XXX" is already patented.

[B.P.]

Cue Tim Robbins in The Hudsucker Proxy: "It's for kids!"

[Lefty]

Whatever happened to knobs?

[Colby Cosh]

If I may, allow me to call attention to my defence of Honeywell.

[Julian]

Colby- you might have a point if this were a patent case. But it ain't; it's a trademark case. The internal design isn't at issue; the cover shape is. I'm not denying that design elements can be trademarked... but, come on, round? They own a patent on the insides, great. But unlike patents, trademarks don't expire, giving the company what amounts to a perpetual monopoly on the form, whether or not the internal configuration is the same or not. So, with all due respect, I think this IS one of those IP jokes.

[Wilson Vanessa]

EMAIL: [e-mail]
IP: 203.162.3.147
URL: http://preteen-sex.info
DATE: 05/21/2004 05:39:34
There are no weird people - some just require more understanding.