Re: Trademark Humor

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Chris Roberts <quezacotl_14000000000000@xxxxxxxxx>

Sorry about the trademark issues. You would think that their lawyers 
would have better things to do. Whatever the name, that thing is 
awesome. Do you have any pictures or video of that thing firing? That 
is far too cruel to tease us with pictures of the device itself but 
nothing of it in operation. =D

-Chris

Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Original poster: Greg Leyh

Possibly off-topic, though it makes me wonder who owns the trademark
for 'Tesla Coil.'

Apparently the legal department for Taser International has recently
learned to Google for their name, and they're now engaging in a wide
campaign to eradicate all unauthorized uses of the word 'Taser' from
the internet.

Back in 1991, SRL and myself built a device that we dubbed the 'Taser
Cannon' (i.e. Lorentz Gun) since it used dart-driven seed wires to
initiate a long, high-current plasma channel in air. The system can
be viewed here: http://www.lod.org/Projects/Other/index.htm

Some time around 1997, TASER International trademarked the word TASER.
Last week, they issued a legal threat to LOD over our use of the word
on the website. The legal document can be read here:
http://www.lod.org/Projects/Other/legal.htm

I immediately agreed to their request, and now use the more accurate
term 'Lorentz Gun' on the LOD website. It's hilarious that they
considered the Lorentz Gun to be competition in the first place, and
the last paragraph of the legal threat is nothing but pure
drama. It's clear that they didn't even bother to comprehend the
description of the Lorentz Gun.

So, who *does* own the rights to 'Tesla Coil?'


-GL






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