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Subject:Trademarks and nouns - how often? From:Jill Waite <jwaite -at- criticaldevices -dot- com> To:"Techwhirl (E-mail)" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 5 Oct 2000 16:13:53 -0500
I have checked the archives (Eric - hyperlink for Cambridge archives not
working) but my particular issue was not addressed. Your help would be
appreciated.
The following two points were discussed thoroughly in the archives:
(a) Trademarks are adjectives and must be followed by descriptor nouns.
(b) Trademark symbols (i.e., R and TM inside a circle, superscript) should
be used at first or most prominent use, but can be omitted thereafter as
long as an attribution statement exists.
The following questions were _not_ addressed:
1. In printed documentation: Can we also omit descriptor following
trademark, after first and most prominent usage? For example, the
descriptor for Windows NT(R) or Windows(R) 95, 98, or 2000 is "operating
system." Once I've defined it and used it correctly the first and/or most
prominent time, can I thereafter say merely "Windows" or "Windows NT"? It
strikes me as odd, because that's a little bit how Kleenex got into trouble
- descriptor "tissue" got left off pretty frequently!
2. What about on Web sites? My gut feeling is first use on each page,
because you don't always know how someone will come into the Web site, but I
thought I would check with the group.
Thanks,
Jill Waite
Dallas, TX
jwaite -at- criticaldevices -dot- com
