UNIX trademark

[Darrel VanBuer]

Trademarks have strong common law standing in addition to legislated status.
A registered trademark (which can be marked with R in a circle) is one which
has been "registered" with the US Patent and Trademark office.  It can be a
somewhat expensive process, but once approved you have a symbol verified
different from other trademarks, and with strong legal protection.
You can establish a common law trademark (marked with TM) by simply using a
distinctive mark on your product, and defend it by demonstrating your prior
use of the mark in a geographic and/or product area.  You generally are not
viewed as infringing a trademark in there is no possibility of confusion
with another use (e.g. you could likely market you own Unix brand ice cream
since it's so remote from phones and computers).
-- 
Darrel J. Van Buer, PhD
System Development Corp.
2500 Colorado Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(213)820-4111 x5449
...{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,orstcs,sdcsvax,ucla-cs,akgua}
                                                            !sdcrdcf!darrelj
VANBUER at USC-ECL.ARPA