Its a f***ing disgrace. The Acorn trademarks have lapsed and now some bunch of schisters are trading on Acorn's good name, to flog some cheap and nasty Windows notebooks. We should turn up at this show and tear the cluprits limb from limb.
In article <4e21d49bd9usenet-nos...@vigay.com>, Paul Vigay <usenet-nos...@vigay.com> wrote:
> In article <4e21cc30ecda...@orpheusmail.co.uk>, > Dave Stratford <da...@orpheusmail.co.uk> wrote: > > Interesting. Assuming the name is actually correct then this makes > > interesting reading as well : > > http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/bbfa30fd79c546a8cb53686571981704/co... > I can't actually access the Companies House database at the moment, but > I'll check it in the morning, and I shall be reporting them for fraud if > they're trying to pass themselves off as Acorn of the 80's and 90's. That's > false advertising, fraudlent claims and trying to pass yourself off as > someone else. > I may also phone the exhibition organisers in the morning too.
Done so. Shahid Sultan 'UK Operations Director of GlobalComm/Acorn Computers Ltd' has reportedly bought out Acorn Computers Ltd and is relaunching the company. The organisers seem to have little more than that.
-- John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822 Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing
> Its a f***ing disgrace. The Acorn trademarks have lapsed and now some bunch > of schisters are trading on Acorn's good name, to flog some cheap and nasty > Windows notebooks. We should turn up at this show and tear the cluprits limb > from limb.
NO! Turn up with few Beeb/Arc programs on a floppy, challenge them to demonstrate them, then get the trading standards on to them for miss-representation.
> In article <4e21d49bd9usenet-nos...@vigay.com>, > Paul Vigay <usenet-nos...@vigay.com> wrote: > > In article <4e21cc30ecda...@orpheusmail.co.uk>, > > Dave Stratford <da...@orpheusmail.co.uk> wrote:
> > > Interesting. Assuming the name is actually correct then this makes > > > interesting reading as well :
> > I can't actually access the Companies House database at the moment, but > > I'll check it in the morning, and I shall be reporting them for fraud > > if they're trying to pass themselves off as Acorn of the 80's and 90's. > > That's false advertising, fraudlent claims and trying to pass yourself > > off as someone else.
> > I may also phone the exhibition organisers in the morning too.
> Done so.
Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't see it'll help them mind - the only people who'll recognise it will just be confused!)
> Its a f***ing disgrace. The Acorn trademarks have lapsed and now some > bunch of schisters are trading on Acorn's good name, to flog some cheap > and nasty Windows notebooks. We should turn up at this show and tear the > cluprits limb from limb.
Sheesh! Get over it. Acorn are long dead and buried. The sooner the name is forgotten, the better, as far as I'm concerned.
> In message <fdd8d4214e.dr...@druck.freeuk.net>, druck wrote: >> On 4 May 2006 "Ian Stocks" <nos...@testbox2.co.uk> wrote: >>> Is this anyone we know :-
>> Its a f***ing disgrace. The Acorn trademarks have lapsed and now some >> bunch of schisters are trading on Acorn's good name, to flog some cheap >> and nasty Windows notebooks. We should turn up at this show and tear the >> cluprits limb from limb.
> Sheesh! Get over it. Acorn are long dead and buried. The sooner the name is > forgotten, the better, as far as I'm concerned.
So why are you supporting fraudulent traders attempting to profit from it?
> > > I can't actually access the Companies House database at the moment, but > > > I'll check it in the morning, and I shall be reporting them for fraud > > > if they're trying to pass themselves off as Acorn of the 80's and 90's. > > > That's false advertising, fraudlent claims and trying to pass yourself > > > off as someone else.
> > > I may also phone the exhibition organisers in the morning too. > > Done so. > Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try > and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't > see it'll help them mind - the only people who'll recognise it will just be > confused!)
It's always as well to keep a sharp eye on anyone who might turn out to be predatory. Fair play is *not* what is around if someone with no connection to Acorn Computers is pretending to have decades of Acorn Computers experience behind them.
-- John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822 Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing
Adam wrote: > Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try > and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't > see it'll help them mind - the only people who'll recognise it will just be > confused!)
I'd love to call them and ask for a RiscPC, or claim you've got a 10 year warranty on something that's just died.
If everyone here does that once, they won't be terribly impressed with their choice of name...
In message <445a7fa0$0$8344$da0fe...@news.zen.co.uk>, Jason Tribbeck wrote:
> Adam wrote:
> > Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to > > try and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I > > can't see it'll help them mind - the only people who'll recognise it > > will just be confused!)
> I'd love to call ...[and]... claim you've got a 10 > year warranty on something that's just died.
> Its a f***ing disgrace. The Acorn trademarks have lapsed and now some bunch > of schisters are trading on Acorn's good name, to flog some cheap and nasty > Windows notebooks. We should turn up at this show and tear the cluprits limb > from limb.
> ---druck
As far as I can tell from the UK Patent Office's Trademark Database, the "nut" logo is up for renewal in February next year, and the trademark of "Acorn" on computer reference manuals is due for renewal in 2009.
On 5-May-2006, "matthew.wight...@gmail.com" <matthew.wight...@gmail.com> wrote:
> As far as I can tell from the UK Patent Office's Trademark Database, > the "nut" logo is up for renewal in February next year, and the > trademark of "Acorn" on computer reference manuals is due for renewal > in 2009.
The nut logo is nothing to do with Acorn Computers. If you mean the green "acorn" that the company used that can't be registered. You will notice that the new Nottingham company uses a different font for their name so there's no conflict with the old Acorn trademark even if it has been registered.
The "misrepresentation" isn't the name or the logo it's the attempt to imply that they're a continuation of the old company (unless, of course, they are). However, it's possible that this link could have been made by the show organisers, so let's not condemn then too soon. (Oops, silly me, this is c.s.a.)
>Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try >and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't
Except that the trademark belongs to someone else (currently Castle, I believe), which makes it actually quite serious criminal fraud. Even if Castle no longer (for whatever reason) own the old Acorn trademarks, the newcomer still makes claims to be associated with the 'old' Acorn computers which appear to be completely unfounded. So there's *still* passing off and fraud; probably a fairly clear case of false advertising as well, if you want to open it up to relatively minor charges.
> >Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try > >and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't > Except that the trademark belongs to someone else (currently Castle, I > believe), which makes it actually quite serious criminal fraud. > No, it doesn't, and what is shown on the website is *not* the "old" Acorn > Computers trademark anyway.
The problem is obviously the exhibition website that makes a clear link to Acorn Computers of the 80s and 90s.
-- John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822 Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing
In article <4e2237d50busenet-nos...@vigay.com>, Paul Vigay <usenet-nos...@vigay.com> wrote:
> In article <ocA*oG...@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, > Chris Joseph <chr...@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote: > > Except that the trademark belongs to someone else (currently Castle, I > > believe), which makes it actually quite serious criminal fraud. Even if > > Castle no longer (for whatever reason) own the old Acorn trademarks, the > > newcomer still makes claims to be associated with the 'old' Acorn > > computers which appear to be completely unfounded. So there's *still* > > passing off and fraud; probably a fairly clear case of false advertising > > as well, if you want to open it up to relatively minor charges. > Indeed. I would urge people to complain both to the Computer Trade Show as > well as Companies House - details in my previous posting.
Preferably without making any unwarranted assumptions. It's always difficult to continue with a (justified) complaint when you have made errors (even if incidental) in that complaint.
-- John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822 Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing
matthew.wight...@gmail.com <URL:mailto:matthew.wight...@gmail.com> wrote: > druck wrote: > > On 4 May 2006 "Ian Stocks" <nos...@testbox2.co.uk> wrote: > > > Is this anyone we know :-
> > Its a f***ing disgrace. The Acorn trademarks have lapsed and now some bunch > > of schisters are trading on Acorn's good name, to flog some cheap and nasty > > Windows notebooks. We should turn up at this show and tear the cluprits limb > > from limb.
> > ---druck
> As far as I can tell from the UK Patent Office's Trademark Database, > the "nut" logo is up for renewal in February next year, and the > trademark of "Acorn" on computer reference manuals is due for renewal > in 2009.
From companies house web site I see that the original Acorn Computers Ltd is still an active company, now called Cabot 2 Ltd
Company No. 01403810
Date of Incorporation: 05/12/1978 name at time of incorporation: Original name ACORN COMPUTERS LIMITED then renamed to ELEMENT 14 LIMITED then CABOT 2 LIMITED
Cabot2 appears to be still 'trading' with a return submitted in September last year! Nature of Business (SIC(03)): 7487 - Other business activities
Another company
Company No. 02926030 Date of Incorporation: 05/05/1994 started out called ACKRACK LAW LIMITED then renamed to ONLINE MEDIA LIMITED then ELEMENT 14 LIMITED then ACORN COMPUTERS LIMITED then CABOT 7 LIMITED
and was dissolved 05/09/2000
In jan 1999 the two companies swapped names between Element 14 and Acorn Computers
n.b. MSDW are based in Cabot Square
Chris Evans
-- CJE Micro's / 4D 'RISC OS Specialists' Telephone: 01903 523222 Fax: 01903 523679 ch...@cjemicros.co.uk http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/ 78 Brighton Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2EN The most beautiful thing anyone can wear, is a smile!
In article <ocA*oG...@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, Chris Joseph
<URL:mailto:chr...@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote: > Adam <n...@snowstone.org.uk> wrote:
> >Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try > >and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't
> Except that the trademark belongs to someone else (currently Castle, I > believe),
I think Castle only had a licence to use the name, I suspect the ownership lies with MSDW Holdings who bought out Acorn Computers Ltd. I doubt MSDW will know about the infringment or be bothered to pursue the new company if they did.
> which makes it actually quite serious criminal fraud. Even > if Castle no longer (for whatever reason) own the old Acorn > trademarks, the newcomer still makes claims to be associated with the > 'old' Acorn computers which appear to be completely unfounded. So > there's *still* passing off and fraud; probably a fairly clear case of > false advertising as well, if you want to open it up to relatively > minor charges.
> Chris.
Chris Evans
-- CJE Micro's / 4D 'RISC OS Specialists' Telephone: 01903 523222 Fax: 01903 523679 ch...@cjemicros.co.uk http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/ 78 Brighton Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2EN The most beautiful thing anyone can wear, is a smile!
Chris Evans wrote: > In article <ocA*oG...@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, Chris Joseph > <URL:mailto:chr...@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote: > > Adam <n...@snowstone.org.uk> wrote:
> > >Um, what's the big deal? If some half-bit (geddit?) start-up want's to try > > >and play on an old trademark, fair play to them for imagination. (I can't
> > Except that the trademark belongs to someone else (currently Castle, I > > believe),
> I think Castle only had a licence to use the name, I suspect the ownership > lies with MSDW Holdings who bought out Acorn Computers Ltd. > I doubt MSDW will know about the infringment or be bothered to pursue the > new company if they did.
A quick check with the UK patent office shows that Element-14 own the Acorn name and nut log as registered trademarks. The trademarks are both valid, the name up to 2009 and the nut to 2007. Broadcom now own E-14.
Castle were allowed to continue using the Acorn brand in order to resell RiscPCs in the post-Acorn breakup. See:
