Re: (TV) Television: the name

["Mark G. Ryan" <mgryan@cruzio.com>]

Paul Dubiansky <thedubes@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
> I was in a band named Cellophane World. We had an 11x14 piece of paper 
> covered on both sides with proposed names. It was the only name that got 
> unanimous approval. It was also one of the few names that none of us 
> really liked. Does that kind of outcome sound familiar to anyone?
> 

You're band was lucky that DuPont lost their trademark right to
"cellophane" in a landmark court case (DuPont Cellophane Co. Inc. v. 
Waxed Products Co. Inc, 85 F.2d75 (2nd Cir. 1936)).  

Otherwise, if your band had recorded anything under that name, it 
might have gotten a nasty "cease and desist" letter from DuPont's
attorneys alleging dilution of trademark.  How musicians are supposed 
to navigate the legal minefield when they have no money is beyond me!

(In case anyone's interested: I believe that Judge Learned Hand found 
that "cellophane" had become a generic term, and so could no longer be 
claimed as the exclusive intellectual property of DuPont.  Trademarks 
must be used as adjectives, not nouns, so if you ever invent something,
watch out.)

Mark
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