Another company created a product with a similar name to ours, and filed for trademark protection. We started work filling the USPTO to oppose the trademark, and a c&d notifying the other company of the confusion. One journalist interviewed me and ran a piece. More than forty publications then reported on the situation, quoting and interpreting the original journalists story.

The next day I start getting phonecalls from friends asking me if I’ve gone crazy… as journals and newsfeeds everywhere report that my company has filed a lawsuit against a gigantic tech company.

The moral of my story: There are 4 sides to every story. Person A, Person B, the Truth, and shit the media makes up.

What I LOVE about modern blogs and industry reporting, is that almost no-one interviews or fact-checks. They just report on other people reporting. It’s like that game ‘telephone’ you played in 1st grade… except it makes everyone involved look like an asshole at some point.

Th rgnl pst s n mr, t hs bn nt jst bn pdtd, bt dtd. W n lngr knw wht Xn rgnlly wrt. Th crssd t wrds r nc tchnq, bt d nt rmmbr th wrd “rprtd” n th rgnl pst…whch dd rd bfr md my rgnl cmmnt. t ws “sng” nt “rprtd t b tkng lgl ctn”. Why s sng n th hdln nd thn “rprtdly tkng lgl ctn” ltr. Hs th pst bn dtd n th pst 15 mnts?

knd f rmmbr Bng Bng jst pdtng wth NW pst, nt gng bck nd mssng wth th rgnl psts. Th nly thr tm rmmbr sng ths ws wth th Prtrt f Phtgrphr s Dshbg.

thr wy, th glrng hdln f YK SS LNNN knd f dsrvs n plgy nywy…dn’t t?

mn rlly, thnkng prsn fr hr “ttntn” n dfndng hrslf gnst myspc rnt? sn’t Xn rspnsbl t ll?

Fr th rcrd, dg Xn nd Bng Bng…jst thnk n plgy s ndd nstd f thnk y.

Th rgnl pst s n mr, t hs bn nt jst bn pdtd, bt dtd. W n lngr knw wht Xn rgnlly wrt. Th crssd t wrds r nc tchnq, bt d nt rmmbr th wrd “rprtd” n th rgnl pst…whch dd rd bfr md my rgnl cmmnt. t ws “sng” nt “rprtd t b tkng lgl ctn”. Why s sng n th hdln nd thn “rprtdly tkng lgl ctn” ltr. Hs th pst bn dtd n th pst 15 mnts?

knd f rmmbr Bng Bng jst pdtng wth NW pst, nt gng bck nd mssng wth th rgnl psts. Th nly thr tm rmmbr sng ths ws wth th Prtrt f Phtgrphr s Dshbg.

thr wy, th glrng hdln f YK SS LNNN knd f dsrvs n plgy nywy…dn’t t?

mn rlly, thnkng prsn fr hr “ttntn” n dfndng hrslf gnst myspc rnt? sn’t Xn rspnsbl t ll?

Fr th rcrd, dg Xn nd Bng Bng…jst thnk n plgy s ndd nstd f thnk y.

“Rickey Henderson, pick up the phone, man, it’s me… you.”

Th rgnl pst s n mr, t hs bn nt jst bn pdtd, bt dtd. W n lngr knw wht Xn rgnlly wrt. Th crssd t wrds r nc tchnq, bt d nt rmmbr th wrd “rprtd” n th rgnl pst…whch dd rd bfr md my rgnl cmmnt. t ws “sng” nt “rprtd t b tkng lgl ctn”. Why s sng n th hdln nd thn “rprtdly tkng lgl ctn” ltr. Hs th pst bn dtd n th pst 15 mnts?

knd f rmmbr Bng Bng jst pdtng wth NW pst, nt gng bck nd mssng wth th rgnl psts. Th nly thr tm rmmbr sng ths ws wth th Prtrt f Phtgrphr s Dshbg.

thr wy, th glrng hdln f YK SS LNNN knd f dsrvs n plgy nywy…dn’t t?

mn rlly, thnkng prsn fr hr “ttntn” n dfndng hrslf gnst myspc rnt? sn’t Xn rspnsbl t ll?

Fr th rcrd, dg Xn nd Bng Bng…jst thnk n plgy s ndd nstd f thnk y.

I’m not sure you can blame the failure of democracy on a misunderstanding of the definition of trademark. Since, as others have noted, there was the whole “Yoko Sues Lennon” thing. Headline and article were both pretty inflammatory. Doesn’t justify an army of pitchforks, but then again, I don’t think that’s what anybody was calling for. What’s that line about journalists? The only profession that’s expected to learn everything about anything between 9 and 5? Something like that. It’s true; the world is way too big for even a reasonably educated person to know as much as they need to about anything. I’m sorry for my ignorance. But.

Anyway, this is a relief to hear. Everything I’ve heard/seen of Yoko made me think she was cooler than the article implied she was being. So, yay. Lose a little faith in humanity, gain a little faith in humanity.

Yoko’s position is completely reasonable though.

If this name is already taken, I will settle for “Yoko Jardin”.

perhaps she should spend more time working on her “art” and less time worrying about her name. if her talent is outstanding enough that she’s what comes to mind when people think of the word “lennon” it won’t matter who owns the name, will it?

so far, imho, john’s got dibs.

perhaps she should spend more time working on her “art” and less time worrying about her name. if her talent is outstanding enough that she’s what comes to mind when people think of the word “lennon” it won’t matter who owns the name, will it?

so far, imho, john’s got dibs.

For a while I thought Yoko was trying to regain that title. I’m glad to see she’s not.

That said, while Lennon Murphy has every right to use the name Lennon, I just wish her music didn’t suck so bad.

Its also amazing that everyone was ready to think ill of Yoko. This was John Lennon’s wife. No matter what was said about her being responsible for breaking up the Beatles, which was completely false of course, do you think John loved a witch or bad person for so many years? That he would write songs such as “Oh Yoko” or “Love” for someone not deserving? All of you that trashed her also trash the memory of John Lennon. For shame.

And does anyone have a link to this wench as a suicide girl? Did she ever do nude?

perhaps she should spend more time working on her “art” and less time worrying about her name. if her talent is outstanding enough that she’s what comes to mind when people think of the word “lennon” it won’t matter who owns the name, will it?

so far, imho, john’s got dibs.

“Yk n, wdw f frmr Btls mmbr Jhn Lnnn, s sng sngr-sngwrtr (nd Scd Grl) Lnnn Mrphy fr llgd “trnshmnt” f Jhn Lnnn’s nm.”

Snc ws ccsd f nt rdng th rgnl pst, fnd t cchd n Yh. s sd, t sms t b mr thn jst pntng t pst.

Fnny hw cmmnt…nd thn th pdtd pst gts qck dt…nd thn smbdy (bt nt Xn)cmmnts fr m t g bck nd rd th rgnl pst.

Wldn’t t b sr jst t sy y wr wrng?

ps: nly ht th pst bttn nc, m nt mltpstr (whch s dffrnt frm spmmng).

Rd th rgnl thrd – hlf th ppl xplnng wht th rl ss s, th thr hlf cmpltly bypssng th dscssn, nly rdngng th hdln nd drwng rrns cnclsns frm t.

t’s prctclly mdl f mdrn dmcrcy n ctn.

I’ll summarize for those with short attention spans:
(1) Lennon Murphy has a very broad registration for the the trademark LENNON that would cover any musical activities of the Lennon family;
(2) A cancellation proceeding before the TTAB, even when successful, has no impact on a person’s ability to use that trademark. The owner just doesn’t have exclusive rights anymore flowing from the registration;
(3) Yoko Ono is asserting both her registrations and her common law rights to LENNON and JOHN LENNON; and
(4) Everything at the USPTO demonstrates that Ono is telling the truth, and Ms. Murphy seriously misunderstands what is going on.

With more detail:
Lennon Murphy is the owner of trademark registration no. 2676604 for use with goods in class 009, including musical sound recordings, and for services in class 041, including “entertainment services in the nature of live performances by a musical group.” This trademark was registered on 01/21/2003.

This registration allows Lennon Murphy to stop anyone else from using a similar trademark, when used in conjunction with goods or services, such that there is a likelihood of confusion in the consuming public between the source of the goods/services.

On its face, and ignoring the various defenses (e.g., priority of use), Lennon Murphy could sue members of the Lennon family for using “Lennon” for entertainment services.

What is startling is that in her declaration during the prosecution of the application, Lennon Murphy stated that her use of LENNON was from 1997 to 2002 for the listed goods and services “substantially exclusive.” That is, she alone was using the trademark LENNON for musical performances. She also declared, “As a result of my extensive use, advertising and promotion of my mark LENNON for over five years, my mark has become distinctive of my services.” In English, this means that, basically, when you hear the trademark LENNON, you think of her goods and services. See < http://tinyurl.com/23v4e5> July 2002 filing.