Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend Trademark

Posted by jhuckestein on Monday June 01, 2015 @09:39AM
from the techcrunch.com dept.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/01/unsafe-to-say/

( 6 comments | 27 points | on HN )

Re:Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend T... by gergles on Monday June 01, 2015 @11:17AM (#9639243)

What a bullshit C&D. The mark is for "SAFE-TO-SPEND", including the hyphens. The bank is using safe to spend without the hyphens. The version without the hyphens is descriptive and almost certainly not actually trademarkable.

It's a scare tactic, that's all.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend T... by MCRed on Monday June 01, 2015 @09:56AM (#9638561)

I don't believe this is a legitimate trademark under US trademark law. A simple description of a process is not protectable, as I understand it (this from being in a dispute and consequently reading a bunch of examiner filings.)

Money that is unencumbered is "safe to spend" and thus this is a phrase that describes a common industry state.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend T... by dubcanada on Monday June 01, 2015 @09:57AM (#9638567)

It's not under US trademark. It's European.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend T... by jonomacd on Monday June 01, 2015 @10:07AM (#9638638)

wow...

I should spend more time trademarking generic sentences. Seems lucrative.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend T... by shassinger on Monday June 01, 2015 @10:56AM (#9639015)

start with trademarking "trademark infringement"

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Simple Issues Mondo Cease and Desist Over Safe-To-Spend T... by juliendsv-mbm on Monday June 01, 2015 @10:02AM (#9638608)

That's ridiculous ...

[ Parent | on HN ]