http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=10325513
This article uses the headline "1995 bio still the Wikipedia on Warren", but isn't actually about Wikipedia in any way; it's apparently regarding "Wikipedia" as a generic term for a "source to check dates, names and events". While this is a much more positive thing than if "Wikipedia" were being used as a generic term for "an unreliable source that can be screwed up by any idiot on the street" as some of the critics would be likely to do, it still possibly poses a threat to the Wikipedia trademark; just like Google's lawyers are concerned about the widespread use of "googling" especially if it threatens to become a term for online searching even when the Google brand search engine is not used, it could cause 'genericide' of the WP trademark if (as I've seen in other places occasionally) "wikipedia" becomes a common term for reference sources and online projects of various sorts, like "the wikipedia of baseball statistics".
On Sat, May 3, 2008 at 3:42 AM, Daniel R. Tobias dan@tobias.name wrote:
"wikipedia" becomes a common term for reference sources and online projects of various sorts, like "the wikipedia of baseball statistics".
I see that happening in Germany once in a while, too. It started with other Wiki projects on particular subjects and more and more, "Wikipedia" can be used as a metaphor on something that contains lots of information.
Even if there are some negative consequences associated with that development, the positive implications are much larger.
Mathias
(Wikipedia is the Wikipedia of Knowledge)
Mathias Schindler wrote:
On Sat, May 3, 2008 at 3:42 AM, Daniel R. Tobias dan@tobias.name wrote:
"wikipedia" becomes a common term for reference sources and online projects of various sorts, like "the wikipedia of baseball statistics".
I see that happening in Germany once in a while, too. It started with other Wiki projects on particular subjects and more and more, "Wikipedia" can be used as a metaphor on something that contains lots of information.
Even if there are some negative consequences associated with that development, the positive implications are much larger.
This seems to touch on the broad issue of genericisation. Owners of trademarks such as Kleenex, Xerox and many others have been fighting this rearguard action for many years with little hope of real success.
While there may be a cause of action when someone else uses the name to promote its product as in using a Canon copier to Xerox one's documents. nothing can be done to stop an individual from xeroxing on a Canon. The Canon Company itself knows enough not to fall into that trap, but local retailers will frequently ignore this.
Ec