TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Trademark law for publications? From:Barb Philbrick <caslonsvcs -at- IBM -dot- NET> Date:Fri, 14 Feb 1997 08:11:30 GMT
> My legal eagles (that is my Law Department experts - large
>Canadian Bank) have told us procedures writers to show the trademark symbol the first time the
>product is mentioned and to put a foot note at the end of our document
>that "Windows (trademark symbol) is a registered trademark of Microsoft
>Corp."
>Thereafter in the *same* document you can show the product without the
>trademark symbol.
What's their rationale? I notice that in magazines and other
publications, respecting trademark is the only requirement. I rarely
see trademark symbols in, for instance, _U.S. News and World Report_
or _People_ magazines, or in popular novels that mention Kleenex.
By respecting, I mean capitalizing it and using it as a noun or
adjective, never a verb (OK: the Xerox machine; Microsoft Windows is
the operating system; not OK: I'm xeroxing this message).
Why do we as technical writers carry the burden of fussing around with
trademarks when other more widely distributed publications don't? Is
it simply professional respect - we'll put notices in about your
trademarks if you'll put notices in about ours?
Curious -
Barb
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
