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July 5, 2005
Trademark trolls
You may have heard of "patent trolls" - companies and/or individuals who buy patents for the purpose of making money off of infringement claims (rather than for the purpose of marketing/developing the invention). Well, here is the story of "trademark trolls." From the New York Times, He Says He Owns the Word 'Stealth' (Actually, He Claims 'Chutzpah,' Too):
Over the last few years, Leo Stoller has written dozens of letters to companies and organizations and individuals stating that he owns the trademark to "stealth." He has threatened to sue people who have used the word without his permission. In some cases, he has offered to drop objections in exchange for thousands of dollars. And in a few of those instances, people or companies have paid up.
For the record, this website does not use the word "stealth" in any of its trade names.
Maybe we should file for ownership of the word "intangibles"?
Posted by Ken Jarboe at July 5, 2005 12:15 PM
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