Re: Some designer of buzzer system requesting
legal protection for "Quiz Bowl" name.
Julie
asks : " Seriously, legal eagles -- need/should
anything be done?"
Speaking as an attorney and as a
QB player, my first instinct tells me that something
should probably be done about this. It's probably not
that big a deal, but someone should be put on notice
that the applicant did _not_ make up the term
"quizbowl" at the absolute minimum.
The more a term
had been used prior to an application, the harder it
is for even someone with a trademark to successfully
sue a defendant on it, particularly if defendant does
not sell competing goods.
And, yes, trademark
holders are requested to vigorously defend their
trademark in order to preserve their rights. Note also that
this is NOT how copyright works ; copyright is a whole
different animal.