'Intellivision' doesn't own the name 'intellivision' anymore?

[Rev]

How do you find out who legally owns the name: intellivision???

 

http://www.intelli-vision.com/company

 

This company appears to think they own it.

 

Any copyrights lawers in the house?

[mrmovieprop]

You can trademark a name for more than one industry. Take atari for instance, after the 84 acquisition by Jack tramiel you had atari corporation using the logo and atari name for home consoles and computers and atari games corp using the atari name for coin operated games.

[Rev]

You can trademark a name for more than one industry. Take atari for instance, after the 84 acquisition by Jack tramiel you had atari corporation using the logo and atari name for home consoles and computers and atari games corp using the atari name for coin operated games.

 

But were both if those owned by the same parent company or something?

 

I dont know much about atari legal history.

[mrmovieprop]

I just using an atari related trademark for example. and no those were two separate companies with different owners. Microsoft has windows as their trademarked operating system but that doesen't mean someone can not necessarily have a "windows system 8" system or what not trademarked for actual outdoor windows too for example.

[Games For Your Intellivision]

Intellivision is a registered trademark.

 

It is owned by Intellivision Productions, Inc.

[LidLikesIntellivision]

I just using an atari related trademark for example. and no those were two separate companies with different owners. Microsoft has windows as their trademarked operating system but that doesen't mean someone can not necessarily have a "windows system 8" system or what not trademarked for actual outdoor windows too for example.

 

Yes, you can use the same name for two different business branch. What is two different business can be a problem to solve...

 

But Windows may have the "Well known" status. Some names have an extra protection when it gets that status.

I know FIAT has this status. They sued a mathes brand called 'Fiat Lux'. In this case, FIAT lost because the matches company was older.

 

P.S.: I'm not a lawer, I never studied Common Law and I barely speak English.

[mrmovieprop]

http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/ search trademarks you can see there is one for a software company and one trademark for intellivision for the game maker we know

and there are other dead not renewed trademarks too for intellivsion.

[+Gemintronic]

I'd say the Intellivision Productions people probably have pretty weak claims. So far they have refused to answer any queries about copyrights/licensing even for tertiary stuff (Aquarius, Radofin, etc..)

 

The community could probably snatch up at least the Aquarius/Radofin names and officially restart that legacy.

[Tales from the Game Room]

It all depends on the state and their laws pertaining to trademarks and tradenames. Seeing the Intellivision Video Intelligence and Automated Monitoring at the website that you provided, I am guessing that they went through federal procedures to tradename the name "Intellivision" .

 

Trademarks and Tradenames can also be done on a state-to-state level, which is cost effective if your business is not nation wide, or has no threat from other parts of the country or world and then there is a federal version that protects you throughout.

 

I have been through the process of securing a trademark and a tradename, and both are very different, and the forms can be a pain in the @$$...lol...

 

With a trademark, you are securing the name to some extent, but are primarily securing the logo of that name against theft.

With a tradename, you are securing the name of your entity. It has nothing to do with the logo.

 

I have a trademark in Massachusetts, and I have a tradename in New Hampshire.

[Tales from the Game Room]

It is also my guess that where Mattel does not want to have anything associated with Intellivision any longer, that they simply allowed the trademark/tradename rights to lapse...

[mdoerty]

That company has an upper case V in its name, so there is some distinction.

 

Trademarks are funny creatures. If they cause confusion, there can be legal trouble. Doubtful that would be the case here.

 

Also. Interestingly, the URL Intellivision.com appears to be available. Only a page holder appears when you try to go there.

 

[Rev]

I dont think the upper case V makes a difference. Its still intellivision.

 

Let me try to trademark forD.

 

 

[+DZ-Jay]

I dont think the upper case V makes a difference. Its still intellivision.

 

Let me try to trademark forD.

 

It all depends on which markets and for which purpose Ford set up their trademark.

 

By definition, a trademark is just that: a mark used to identify your trade.

 

If you try to enter the automobile business with any variation of the name Ford that could cause confusion to the regular person, you'll get Ford's lawyers in your back immediately.

 

However, if you set up a brand of, say, cookies called "Ford cookies," I would imagine it to be safe--as long as you were ready to argue that it will cause no confusion in the market (Ford may send their lawyers, but it's up to you to fight back or back down).

 

That is, of course, if Ford registered their trademark in the baked goods market as well, and intend to sell Ford Cookies.

 

dZ.

[mdoerty]

I dont think the upper case V makes a difference. Its still intellivision.

 

Let me try to trademark forD.

 

 

I guess my point is that the company really seems to be Intelli-Vision (which is its website URL). Ironically, it has this "© 2013 Intellivision.com" down the bottom of the home page, pointing to www.intelli-vision.com

[CatPix]

I'd say the Intellivision Productions people probably have pretty weak claims. So far they have refused to answer any queries about copyrights/licensing even for tertiary stuff (Aquarius, Radofin, etc..)

 

The community could probably snatch up at least the Aquarius/Radofin names and officially restart that legacy.

What is the link between Radofin and Mattel/Intellivision?

[+Gemintronic]

What is the link between Radofin and Mattel/Intellivision?

 

Mattel sold off the Aquarius back to Radofin (who made the unit). Radofin tried to market it as well as they could but failed eventually.

[CatPix]

Oh. Well why "snatching up" the Radofin name? Even in Europe, Radofin's prime product, the 1292 AVPS from 1976, it better and more widely know as the Interton VC 4000.

And outside the Aquarius (which didn't make it only because the market was oversaturated in Europe with cheap and expensive computers) Radofin doesn't seems to have any ties with Mattel so I don't think it would be a huge point to market Aquarius remade computers or games under the Radofin brand.

 

I don't know what happened to Radofin anyway.

[+Gemintronic]

Oh. Well why "snatching up" the Radofin name? Even in Europe, Radofin's prime product, the 1292 AVPS from 1976, it better and more widely know as the Interton VC 4000.

And outside the Aquarius (which didn't make it only because the market was oversaturated in Europe with cheap and expensive computers) Radofin doesn't seems to have any ties with Mattel so I don't think it would be a huge point to market Aquarius remade computers or games under the Radofin brand.

 

I don't know what happened to Radofin anyway.

 

Radofin eventually dissolved. The trademark was owned by a company called "LANK ELECTRONICS (LONDON) LIMITED" but they let the trademark expire. Can't find any traces of them either.

 

I was suggesting the community own Radofin as it's the closest we'll ever get to owning a part of the Intellivision legacy. Also, Jaybird3rd is the only known vendor for new Aquarius products in existence!

[Bill Loguidice]

I can't go into more detail at this time, but there will be an exciting use of the official Intellivision license in 2014, and the same for the ColecoVision. I know that's painfully vague, but know that good things are coming.

[+Gemintronic]

I can't go into more detail at this time, but there will be an exciting use of the official Intellivision license in 2014, and the same for the ColecoVision. I know that's painfully vague, but know that good things are coming.

 

I, for one, welcome our new Night Stalker Extraordinaire and Overlord Bill Loguidice!

[CatPix]

 

 

Radofin eventually dissolved. The trademark was owned by a company called "LANK ELECTRONICS (LONDON) LIMITED" but they let the trademark expire. Can't find any traces of them either.

 

I was suggesting the community own Radofin as it's the closest we'll ever get to owning a part of the Intellivision legacy. Also, Jaybird3rd is the only known vendor for new Aquarius products in existence!

Oh, so that's different.

But as an European and kinda proud of the videogaming past of Europe (I mean. 1976. It make the AVPS the second cart based system ever created.) I would enjoy the name Radofin used on Radofin AVPS products too, not only on outdated (for the release time) and barely know Mattel computer

But I guess that in this case, it's first come first served, and/or anyone could pick the name up to sell carts for anything really.

[+Gemintronic]

Actually, if Coleco Entertainment Corp or RiverWestBrands is starting to make major moves with the Coleco name it may be harder for homebrewers like me to negotiate to make games..

[Bill Loguidice]

Actually, if Coleco Entertainment Corp or RiverWestBrands is starting to make major moves with the Coleco name it may be harder for homebrewers like me to negotiate to make games..

 

No worries that I can see about that. In fact, if anything, with what's coming in 2014 (actually, holiday 2013 is the target, but it seems a bit ambitious to me), there will be more opportunities in the future for homebrew developers who code original games for both consoles. Obviously those who recreate licensed games and/or convert pre-existing games won't get a similar consideration in terms of future opportunities with those particular creations, but then that's always the case. It all comes down to what you can do legally.

[bojay1997]

I think there may be some confusion about trademarks. A trademark is just a means of identifying a source of goods or services. The standard the trademark office applies is whether a reasonable consumer would be confused if a trademark containing essentially the same name or words is applied to multiple products, goods or services. There is nothing to prevent two companies from using the name "Intellivision" and depending on how broadly the Intellivision trademark has been used and registered, there could be a whole host of companies using that same name and even registering that same trademark. For example, there is Apple which is the Beatles' record company and Apple which is a computer company. Both companies have the trademark to the name Apple, but in different categories or classes of goods or services. Sometimes a conflict emerges down the line such as when Apple Computer went into the music business with iTunes.

 

The trademark process is entirely separate from registering a business name with the Secretary of State's office or obtaining a domain name. Even in those circumstances, it's possible two businesses could have similar or even identical names depending on a variety of factors.