« PSP speculation | Main | Viewing Flash on PSP »

April 27, 2006

Adobe trademark use

Adobe trademark use: Just a reminder here, and I'm not intending to spook anyone, but if you're currently involved in naming a product, website, magazine or other group endeavor, then it would be a good thing to get on the good side of these Adobe trademark guidelines beforehand. Why? To take legal remedies against phishers and other scammers the company has to show that it is applying the same guidlines generally -- that it is not singling out a work just because it's called "discountAdobe.com" or "Flash++ Player" or whatever -- so there are definitely cases where Good People may get a contact from Adobe Legal on a naming issue. They have a feedback form here so you can check particulars, if you wish. (Don't bother asking questions in my blog here, 'cause I'm really not qualified to answer, but the experts do have a contact route in this link.) I know poor Geoff Stearns had to do some scrambling recently, when his "FlashObject" code was in discussion to be highlighted on the Adobe site, and I'd hate to see any other contributor be put into a similar situation in the future... checking these trademark guidelines ahead of time can definitely help, thanks!

Posted by JohnDowdell at April 27, 2006 02:10 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/mtadmin/mt-tb.cgi/7358

Comments

I dig SWFobject (SWFo).

Posted by: Chris Charlton at April 27, 2006 04:10 PM

I can understand the view of Adobe® wanting to protect their products but I think Adobe® should also remember why Macromedia had such a loyal userbase.
Why not add Adobe® to the front of all the product names, that way no one is going to be confused.

Posted by: J Halse at April 27, 2006 06:10 PM

The *main* reason Flash has been so successful was the way Macromedia and it employees embraced the community that it helped to create.

Clearly, Abode, and most of us suspected this when the buyout happened, does not have that culture at its roots and it shows in their products and in the way they conduct business.

I hope that they can find it in their hearts and minds to reach out to the very people that buy their products and help promote their products and for God sakes make their products better (i.e. FlashObject)!

Way to go Adobe. Eat my shorts.

Posted by: April at May 11, 2006 08:15 AM