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German Company Wants To Protect Its Use Of The '@' Sign: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Trademark

from the @hats-and-@fish dept

Fri, Nov 2nd 2012 12:44pm — Glyn Moody

A little while back, Techdirt wrote about a rather brave French company that tried to trademark the Anonymous logo. Now Der Spiegel is reporting that someone wants a German "wordmark" on the "@" sign (original in German). The company involved has the rather unusual name "@ T.E.L.L.", where the initials apparently stand for "Tradinghouse for Exclusive Luxury Labels". Although it's not really clear what the connection is, it is seeking to protect its use of the @-symbol for various classes of luxury goods (application in German), including the following:

shoes, hats, belts, fish, dried fruit, eggs, milk, coffee, tea, tapioca, bread, sugar, honey, syrups, alcoholic beverages (excluding beer), cigarettes, cigars, cigarette lighters and ashtrays
Despite this limitation to certain luxury items, and despite a press release (pdf in German) emphasizing that the company has no intention of sending out warning letters to people using the @-sign in their email addresses, you do have to wonder how wise it is to hand out control, no matter how circumscribed, over something so fundamental to the working of the modern world.

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Filed Under: @, germany, trademark
Companies: @ t.e.l.l.

34 Comments

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Reader Comments

The First Word

“

Banning Twitter in Germany now?

Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+

Expect a C&D letter shortly.
—Yakko Warner
 ”

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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 12:49pm

    why not? it's not as if it isn't happening on a daily basis. there are certain industries/people that want to handle almost everything to do with the modern world, mostly so as to be able to profit, none to benefit anyone else

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 12:57pm

    What about luxury brands that have twitter accounts?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Yakko Warner (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 12:57pm

    Banning Twitter in Germany now?

    Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+

    Expect a C&D letter shortly.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 12:59pm

    @ what point will it no longer be legal to communicate because everything has been "wordmarked", trademarked, or copyrighted.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:02pm

    does that mean that trout @ �3 each
    wold be a trademark violation in Germany?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:02pm

    @fuck off

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:03pm

    @

    Someone makes luxury ashtrays?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mischab1, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:07pm

    Luxury Basics

    What qualifies as luxury eggs and milk?!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Forest_GS (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:10pm

    This is somewhat relevant-

    http://notinventedhe.re/on/2012-6-13

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Cowherd, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:12pm

    No, you don't have to wonder. I know not whether it was through corruption or stupidity that we have ended up with this system of giving businesses control over elements of our language, but it is very obviously unwise.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:20pm

    What kind of asshole do you have to be to use a symbol like @ from the public, and then try and monopolize its use exclusively? Oh I forgot, thats what ALL copyright and patent companies do.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:26pm

      Re:

      Well, I am very concerned that my company,@-H.O.L.E. might lose luxury cockroach business to these copycats due quickly striding morons.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        DannyB (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:56pm

        Re: Re:

        Hey, that is infringement!

        First, @-H.O.L.E. is sufficiently close to my trademark on A-Whole Goods & Services.

        Second, that @ symbol you are using has Apple's patented rounded corners.

        Boy are you in trouble!

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Zakida Paul (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:21pm

    That would be a bloody goldmine. Think about the money you would make suing anyone with an email address. Twice. Let's not forget that most people will have personal and work email accounts.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:31pm

    well, I have exclusive use of the '&' symbol so anyone using it owes me money.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Jeffrey Nonken (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:41pm

    "...the company has no intention of sending out warning letters to people using the @-sign in their email addresses..."

    And you can trust them implicitly. Because nobody ever abuses IP. Especially not the Germans!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:49pm

      Re:

      "...the company has no intention of sending out warning letters to people using the @-sign in their email addresses, only to our competitors and those who have money to pay up..."

      FTFT

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Andrew (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 2:05pm

    Sounds as sensible as allowing a trademark on the colour purple for various types of confectionery. Oh, wait...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Grover (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 2:12pm

    Words

    This should really be a red flag to anyone with even half a brain. No individual word, letter, or symbol should be ever be allowed to be monopolized, by anyone. I can't believe this is even being considered valid or right by this douche company. @eggs?!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 3:50pm

      Re: Words

      Individual words like Nike(TM), Adidas(TM), Microsoft(TM)?
      Taking a single char of a name up for trademark is very extreme and should under no circumstances be granted. However, there is a place for trademarked names. The difference between those two situations is pretty much a grey area. Is it enough with 2 chars to achieve a trademark?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 4:32pm

        Re: Re: Words

        Those 'words' did not exist before the companies created them. @ is already in use.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Bergman (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 6:39pm

          Re: Re: Re: Words

          The Greeks would disagree with you, assuming the Goddess of Victory didn't smite you first.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • icon
            Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 3 Nov 2012 @ 8:47am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Words

            The Greeks would disagree with you, assuming the Goddess of Victory didn't smite you first.
            Cor, and I'd always assumed she was the greek goddess of training shoes. /sarc

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Not That Chris (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 2:24pm

    Fun (and not really relevant) Fact

    The German word for the symbol @ is "die Klammeraffe", which roughly translates to "spider-monkey" or "bracket-monkey."

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    gorehound (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 2:49pm

    I want to Trademark the Word "SHITHEAD" .
    What could go wrong if I did that ?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Josh Taylor, 3 Nov 2012 @ 12:43am

    Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL are going to have a very tough legal battle with the German company who use the "@" symbol in their products.

    I might as well trademark all 26 letters of the Alphabet and sue all public schools and parents for teaching them without my permission.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 5 Nov 2012 @ 2:54am

    Well, Germany is for copyright what Australia is to virtually anything. No offense meant, I love seeing that upside down landscape!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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