IP: Comment from IBM on non trademark IBM'ers view

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

From: patrick@us.ibm.com
X-Lotus-FromDomain: IBMUS
To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 18:31:39 -0500
Subject: Re: IP: IBM'ers view

Dave, please let people know this is not correct.  IBM has not trademarked
e-business.  To the contrary we intentionally wanted anybody and everybody
to use the term (as they have).  The result was the creation of a new
"category".  Consultants are saying IBM is the leader in the new category.
We did trademark the red "e@" symbol but not the name.

====================================================
John Patrick
Vice President - Internet Technology, IBM Corporation
Email: patrick@us.ibm.com
Homepage and PGP public key at http://www.ibm.com/patrick
====================================================



farber/53:06 PM

Please respond to farber@cis.upenn.edu

To:   ip-sub-1@majordomo.pobox.com
cc:    (bcc: John Patrick/Somers/IBM)
Subject:  IP: IBM'ers view




X-Sender: richard#goodread.com@mail.samnet.net
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:47:06 -0500
To: farber@cis.upenn.edu (David Farber)
From: "Richard J. Solomon" <richard@goodread.com>
Subject: IBM'ers view

>improvements such as ubiquitous e-mail, on-line chatting, Internet voice
>communication, distance-learning and better multicultural appreciation.

Every media invention has heralded the lowering of cultural frictions, and
every one has caused new, unanticipated problems. Railroads, airplanes,
telegraphs, radio, television were supposed to eliminate war. I could fill
a book with quotes. Instantaneous borderless information.... Maybe this
time?

It's worth asking: what's wrong with this picture? Why can't we anticipate
these things? Was the domain name/copyright/trademark conundrum so hard to
imagine just 15 years ago when the Web was being promulgated? Here we have
IBM trademarking "E-business?. Gimme a break...

What are we ignoring now? Would anyone pay for a serious hard look?

Richard
Tel: 413-267-5171
Fax: 413-267-5172