Wednesday whimsies
Merck-y marks. To recap, the IPKat was concerned that there were two pharma companies, both trading under the name Merck, and who were in the midst of trade mark litigation (see Katpost "Preliminary hearing to rule on Merck-y past", here). A subsequent blogpost explained why the two companies had the same name: the US version of Merck resulted from the appropriation by the US of German assets during the First World War. Accordingly the IPKat and his friends wondered whether, rather than sue each other for trade mark infringement and for breaches of coexistence agreements, there might be other and perhaps better solutions. Accordingly they set up the sidebar poll, which closed last week. The poll attracted a good deal of interest from readers, receiving exactly 500 responses (yes, 500 does sound like a bit of a round number, but it's a genuine one -- and even round numbers like 500 do come up from time to time, neither more nor less often than any other number).
What then were the results of this poll?
What then were the results of this poll?
- The Americans should return the name to its original owner; after all, the First World War is long over 300 (60%)
- Both companies should be left to keep their MERCK marks, since they've had them for long enough 91 (18%)
- It really doesn't matter at all, since most people don't even know that there are two Mercks 66 (13%)
- Both companies should change their names to something a bit sexier:it would do them good 43 (8%)
A popular flagship program, but not quite what the WTO and WIPO have in mind ... |
For those who like some t with their mediation |
Around the weblogs. The jiplp weblog carries two items of interest: a list of a further five books awaiting the attentions of a reviewer (don't forget -- the reviewer gets to keep the book) and a neat note by Michele Giannino on the position of unincorporated associations as trade mark owners in Italy. The 1709 Blog contains Ben's comments on the IFPI Digital Music Report 2014. On the IP Finance blog, Anne Fairpo gives a swift round-up of the IP-related provisions of the UK's budget earlier today -- a theme which Elizabeth Emerson's note on Art & Artifice touches on when she looks at the tax position relating to cultural gifts and national heritage property.