My wife currently works as the test lead for the NRO's next iteration of the Sentient/ECO program and they named the new program Cyberdyne. No relation to the actual Terminator program.

Her last program held a voting pool to pick a name and ended up with "Totally Not a Laser Death Ray Facility" unfortunately coming in 2nd place.

Since the basics of Sentient were only declassified in 2019 it’s possible disclosure of the fact there’s a next iteration and it’s name is Cyberdyne would constitute disclosure of classified information?

Serious question. How does one go about actually getting a job with the NRO? I’ve heard it doesn’t even have employees, just a consortium of contractors.

I suspect that the original poster did capitalize it but HN 'helpfully' edits such full word capitalization in titles to simple capitalization. However, what many may not be aware of is that you can go back and fix the title and resubmit it and it will be saved as edited. You have, I believe a 2 hour window in which to do such an edit.

Are clever acronyms an end run around copyright claims?

It's probably challenging to argue the government is infringing Disney's copyright: It's not a remotely related field of industry, it's not for profit, and the US government is not technically able to hold IP rights itself to anything.

"Star Wars" itself was the name of a previous defense program, so, I'm sure this debate was had out decades ago.

"Star Wars" was actually not the name of the program, it was a derogatory nickname coined by Ted Kennedy, akin to calling the ACA "Obamacare." [1] The formal name of the program was "Strategic Defense Initiative," or "SDI."

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative#C...

You have me there, thank you for the correction.

Not to mention that defense program got the nickname Star Wars after Lucas released the movie.

Star Wars was released 6 years before SDI was created, so I don't see how it would be any other way?

Exactly.

He didn't win, but George Lucas actually did try to sue over that: https://www.leagle.com/decision/19851553622fsupp93111385

This would be trademark law if anything, not copyright.

No need to. Names, titles, and short phrases are not protected by copyright.

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ33.pdf

You're probably thinking about trademarks, which only protect the use of an identifier when used in the business of a particular trade.

check out airforce platform one logo with "the child" https://software.af.mil/dsop/services/

I work for Platform One and many of us are continually amazed that Disney hasn't dinged us for this yet. I'm pretty sure there have been plans for a while now to get a new logo that isn't such a blatant rip off but I have no idea where they're going.

I mentioned in another comment that George Lucas tried to sue over people calling the SDI "Star Wars" back in 1985. I can't find any evidence now, but I believe he once sued either the Air Force or NRO (can't remember which) over a mission patch with an x-wing on it.

In this case wouldn't it be a trademark instead of copyright?

In which case, there's probably no conflict because you don't infringe trademarks if you're in totally different markets. Which is why it's OK that there's a Columbia encyclopedia and a Columbia sportswear. Or Fisker scissors and Fisker electric cars.

Otherwise it should be named SITH

the Secure Information Technology Hub™?