jkOnTheRun reports on how Google is now honoring Psion’s trademark of Netbook effectively killing the search term for anyone else. If this pushes further we are likely to see devices currently called netbooks go through a rebranding.
What’s strange about this is that Psion has effectively been a dead company for years and has no active product in the market – even if they did in fact invent one called a netbook though it was discontinued in 2003 – long before the notion of low cost computers we now know as netbooks came around.
Why now? What are they cooking here? There’s no known effort underway that would require Psion to protect the term so their device alone could be marketed that way … and it’s not looking lie a legal battle is mounting to do anything other than stop people from saying netbook.
Sites like netbooknews apparently get 50% of their earned ad revenue from the term netbook and this change is going to sting initially for sure. I’ve been debating removing the sticker on my NC10 which reads Netbook for Mobile Internet but now I might just have to keep it there out of spite.
Psion isn't a dead company, it's just not offering consumer products anymore:- https://www.psionteklogix.com/
Also, while the Psion netBook was discontinued years ago, they are still supporting it, so the name is in use. Create a free log-in to their support site to see. Verticals products have a long life, remember, way beyond when new gear stops being sold.
Main interest point here is that Google appear to be acting to alter search results before the courts have confirmed Psion's claim to the netbook brand.
thanks for clarifying … Seems like Google is acting in advance of more serious legal requests which is an interesting choice.
Psion may not be a dead company but they may as well be when it comes to netbooks:
“Save the Netbooks” campaign launched to fight impending trademark threat
The “Save the Netbooks” campaign is fighting the impending trademark threat from Psion Teklogix, who have given until the end of March 2009 to cease using the term citing trademarks relating to a line of products discontinued over 5 years ago.
For more information visit http://www.savethenetbooks.com/.
Psion may not be a dead company but they may as well be when it comes to netbooks:
“Save the Netbooks” campaign launched to fight impending trademark threat
The “Save the Netbooks” campaign is fighting the impending trademark threat from Psion Teklogix, who have given until the end of March 2009 to cease using the term citing trademarks relating to a line of products discontinued over 5 years ago.
For more information visit http://www.savethenetbooks.com/.