Dropbox trademark application being challenged (filesanywhere) by 3 rivals.

http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2011/07_-_July/Rival_sues_Dropbox_over_rights_to_the_name_and_website/

by jccodez • 15 years ago

11 9 15 years ago

newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com

jccodez2• 15 years ago

Interesting search shows how filesanywhere uses the name "Dropbox":

http://goo.gl/imygS

dpark3• 15 years ago

Looks like they've been using the term publicly since at least August of 2004.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040804025347/http://filesanywhe...

glimcat2• 15 years ago

It is quite generic. I've been calling my network-writeable folder "dropbox" since before there was a web. I should rename it now because someone wants to name their company after the colloquial expression for the functionality?

dpark3• 15 years ago

To be fair, Dropbox never said (to my knowledge) that Filesanywhere should be forced to stop using the term. Filesanywhere instead is demanding that Dropbox stop using the term, and that for some bizarre reason Filesanwhere should own the domain.

I think the term is fairly generic, but so are a lot of trademarks up until the point they become trademarks. I'm not sure how the courts and PTO will settle this one.

glimcat2• 15 years ago

Yeah, it's a game of silly buggers all around. At least it's not on the level of the "app store" nonsense.

It's also hard not to develop a rather cynical attitude towards the USPTO given the unending tide of negative press swirling around it. The system is infamously broken. What are companies supposed to do? Not file applications? Not try to defend a granted trademark because it's generic, only to have someone turn that against them? Is it the company being overly grasping or trying to do their due diligence in a high-stakes game of CYA?

jccodez2• 15 years ago

Please note, I am not taking a position on who is right or wrong, just reporting what I read. Thanks.

pluies• 15 years ago

Talking about generic names, the plaintiff in this case is "Office Corporation". Oh, the irony.

almightygod• 15 years ago

I seriously doubt filesanywhere was unaware of drobox for the last 2 years. My guess is they were waiting for the opportune time to cash in.

Dropbox trademark application being challenged (filesanywhere) by 3 rivals.

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