Hold on to your positronic caps, readers. It seems our little green
robo-friend may be in for a little bit of legal trouble. Erich Specht has sued Google and seemingly every company that has ever thought about using its mobile OS (like T-Mobile, Vodafone, Intel, Motorola, Samsung, and lots more) for infringing use of the name "Android." He's the owner of the trademark for Android Data Corporation, granted way back in October of 2002. Google came around and filed a trademark application for Android five years later and, wait for it, had that trademark application denied due to confusion with Mr. Specht's. In other words, it looks like Google and its
Open Handset Alliance cronies are on the defensive and, seemingly, not on particularly firm ground. Specht wants damages and a name-change for Google's OS, and as of now we wouldn't be surprised if he got at least one of his wishes.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Omagus @ May 1st 2009 2:11PM
Someone help me understand: if Google was denied the trademark, why did it insist on using the name?
Josh @ May 1st 2009 2:20PM
Because it's Google. (They think) they own the world.
Hey Google...don't be evil. ;]
me_eit @ May 1st 2009 4:12PM
So if I TM i don't know Robo Ninja Dragon Cyber Xtreme Extream Programing and Other Stuff Company as a DBA for my garage LLC and anyone uses any of those word in there name for a company that does something distantly similar to Programming and other stuff, then I can sue? F this, too many lawyers not enough anvils to tie them to and push them in the water.
Samuel @ May 1st 2009 7:22PM
Google knew the name belonged to someone else - in the technology field, no less - and was denied trademark, but still went ahead?
Yeah, Mr Specht is getting some money out of these people.