Date   : Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:51:36 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: A new Element 14

Phil Blundell wrote:

> It seems fairly unlikely that the new owners of the name and trademark
> would want to part with them, given that they've obviously expended some
> effort to get hold of them in the first place and that losing their name
> would presumably be a nuisance for their business.

Errr... If the trademark has expired, all you need to do is register 
with the relevant authority (whose name I forget). They will publish an 
intent. It nobody objects, the trademark is yours. You can have searches 
done, but they are lengthy and cost loads. Trademarks (for Brits) come 
is three forms: British, European, Global.

Does it say [TM] or does it say (R)? If TM, that just means the company 
is (self) claiming the name as their trademark. It isn't registered - 
the (R) means that.
There is a searchable listing of UK trademarks. Google.


 > So you could well end up spending a large sum to buy them out.

Depends if it is a real trademark.

Read my b.log sometime for the castavoXX saga. I had a C&D from a bloke 
  who said all sorts of legal grief would befall me unless I stopped 
distributing my castavoXX software. I complied, then did my homework. 
Turns out the registered name isn't. The closest is a registered DOMAIN 
name, which means little in legal terms. His company came well after my 
software, and half a brain and Google found mine back then so the person 
probably didn't do any homework to run his version for years before 
noticing my unrelated (earlier) use of the same name. You'll notice some 
fine discepancies in his C&D, which makes me wonder if he even really 
understands what my code DID!
If I was rich, I could have been a bastard and clobbered.
As I'm neither rich nor a bastard, I did it my way and later releases 
sources and stuff for CastAWote, encouraging Germanic pronunciation. :-)


If it really is just a 'lame' PC company as was previously suggested, 
they might have just picked the name as it would be listed early in the 
directories (without being as cheesy as Aardvark...), are they even 
actually that aware of Acorn Computers as in the one we know?!?


> Then, to re-start the company, hire staff and actually do something
> useful would require another stack of money.

Micro-enterprise? You only need a company director and a company 
secretary to get listed at Companies House. Back in 2002 all I need do 
is fill out a pre-made form, nominate the two people, hand over 120 quid 
and it'd be done. I'd even get a free 3 months mail forwarding at a 
central London address in my company's name (but further times of 
forwarding had a really scary price tag!).


> resembling the kind of business that Acorn were previously in would
> probably require ?1million or so at a minimum.

<cynic>I bet you could sink that much getting some kit properly RoHS 
approved...</cynic>


Best wishes,

Rick.

Disclaimer: This is personal opinion, not legal advice.

-- 
Rick Murray, irregular internet access at local library.
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...