GT&A's Name-Change & Trademark News

Recent Name-Change & Trademark News

Selected naming, re-naming, and
trademark developments in the world of high-tech
and the new Internet economy . . .

The Company Re-Naming Bandwagon:

Pivot Rules changes to Bluefly - The change in corporate name,
says the firm's press release, is one of the final steps in the company's transition
from a golf sportswear company to an online designer outlet store. The Web store,
www.bluefly.com, which was launched on September 8, 1998, sells designer
and name-brand fashions at 25-75% off retail prices.
(From Business Wire release, 10/30/98)
[Ed: The firm's stock (Nasdaq: BFLY) has been a high-flyer in
the late Nov/early Dec rally of 'Net-shopping issues.]

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Software.net changes to Beyond.com - Beyond.com Corp.,
an Internet-software retailer that yesteray changed its name from Software.net,
plans to become the leading seller of software products over the Internet in
12 to 18 months, according to Chief Executive Mark Breier, formerly
VP of Marketing at Amazon.com.
(From the Wall Street Journal, 8/26/98)

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Silicon Graphics Inc. changes to SGI - Adopting its
short-hand identity. The computer marketer has been mulling a name change
as part of a comprehensive brand study with Landor Associates, San Francisco.
SGI's new look will be featured in a $10 million brand campaign under development
at McCann-Erickson Worldwide, San Francisco, which this spring won
SGI's global account. SGI executives weren't available at press time.
(From Ad Age, 8/24/98)

[COMMENT: Oh no--another acronym! Warning: unless
you're a mature/struggling computer corporation, don't assume
this makes sense as a naming strategy!]

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Ion Laser Technology Inc. changes to BrightSmile -
With their symbol of the American Stock Exchange now BWT.
(From the Wall Street Journal, 8/26/98)

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Portable Software changes to Concur Technologies -
Portable Software, a venture-backed company based in Redmond, WA, announced
that it had changed its name to Concur Technologies, and had acquired 7Software,
a 14-person startup in the red-hot procurement software space, on June 30. Although
Concur CEO Steve Singh refused to disclose the purchase price,
'We did pay a lot,' he told Herring."
(From Red Herring magazine's Web site, 8/98)

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Imgis changes to AdForce - AdForce, formerly known as Imgis,
unveiled its new name, a new identity, new customers, new software and new funding.
Half of the $20 million in capital came from America Online, which in return received an
8 percent stake in the online ad management technology maker.
(From The Industry Standard Web site, 8/98)

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Borland changes to Inprise - Inprise, formerly
known as Borland International, formed a partnership with Sun Microsystems
to build Java development tools for Sun's Solaris Unix systems."
(From The Industry Standard Web site, 8/98)

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And from GT&A! - Introducing a brand-new name we recently
helped a client develop . . . Cartia Inc. . . . It's the new company name just
announced by ThemeMedia Inc., an exciting startup with Minneapolis roots, now based
in Seattle. We began working with them in early 1997. Look for some exciting
things from this "content mapping & navigation" company, founded by well
known Minneapolis technology consultant & entrepreneur Gary Smaby,
and John Rollwagen, former CEO of Cray Research.

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Trademark Screwups & Other Happenings:

Naming Ain't No Snap, It Seems - Snap Technologies, producer
of the CollEdge web site, has filed suit against CNet to ban the online service
from using the Snap name in connection with CNet's Snap! Online service
(owned in part by NBC). Snap Technologies says it gained a trademark
for the Snap name in March of 1996, before CNet was founded.

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Microsoft Gets Punched in the Shin - Microsoft recently settled an
embarrassing trademark lawsuit with SyNet, a defunct Chicago-based ISP,
by paying $5 million for the right to continue using the
name "Internet Explorer."

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e-David Takes on Goliath - Mighty IBM faces a court battle with a
two-person consulting firm, E Technologies Associates LLC, over the use of the
"e" mark, which appears with a circling tail like an "@". The small firm
claims it was using the "e" trademark before IBM launched
its e-business campaign.

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Holding Out Pays Off - Compaq now officially owns the domain name
www.altavista.com, after nearly two years of legal battles with AltaVista
Technology Inc. ATI will transfer the rights to the trademark and domain names to
to Compaq in exchange for a reported $3.3 million. Compaq inherited the AltaVista
search engine when it acquired Digital Equipment earlier this year.

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E-Media Madness (from eMarketer.com, 8/26/98) -
E-Media, an internet consulting firm in San Francisco, sent cease-and-desist
letters to Ziff-Davis and IDG demanding that the companies stop using its trademarked
name in their new co-venture, eMediaweekly. Ken McCarthy, E-Media founder and president,
claims his company has used the name since 1993 and owned the trademark since February
1996. No one mentions another company, E Media in Kennebunk, Maine. That firm owns
the URL, emedia.com, and has been in business since 1989. Why hasn't
Mr. McCarthy threatened to sue them?

[COMMENT: Probably because they're not seen as a threat, if they're primarily a
localized business in Maine--as opposed to ZD and IDG, who can collectively get 'in the face'
of every new media professional on the planet. The firm in San Francisco may be just going for
some cheap publicity here. They may own the trademark in their 'class' of products or services, but
that may not be enough to prevent ZD/IDG from being granted a mark in their class, adding on
the word 'Weekly' to it. If the Trademark Office thinks it would not cause confusion for
consumers (always the determining factor), then ZD/IDG will prevail. And the Maine
firm? Anyone can grab and hold a domain name, but that alone gives the holder
no Federal trademark rights whatsoever. Besides, ZD/IDG has probably
long since grabbed eMediaWeekly.com.]

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