Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!pacbell.com!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!bionet!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: dave@westmark.westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telemarketing Sleezoids
Message-ID: <14784@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 18 Nov 90 13:01:32 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: Westmark, Inc., Warren, NJ, USA
Lines: 40
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 831, Message 3 of 8


In article <68864@bu.edu.bu.edu>, stables!sw@indetech.com (Steve
Warner) writes:

> to their brand of rotten LD service.  And if I hadn't seen someone HERE
> mention that someone was using ATNT as a company name - I may have

> [Moderator's Note: A story in TELECOM Digest in 1988 told about a
> fellow here in Chicago who had incorporated his business using the
> name "The Phone Company". He was selling an insurance policy
> dealing...

A friend of mine here in New Jersey owns an unincorporated business
which operates under the name New Jersey Telephone Bell Company.  As
far as I know, his business has never done much advertising, and is
not particularly visible.  Perhaps this is why the New Jersey Bell
Telephone Company, a local utility, hasn't bothered him.


Dave Levenson		Internet: dave@westmark.com
Westmark, Inc.		UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Warren, NJ, USA		AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave
Voice: 908 647 0900  	Fax: 908 647 6857


[Moderator's Note: Well this guy in Chicago had phone solictors
calling people, telling them they were calling from "The Phone
Company", and inviting them to sign a contract giving them free repair
of their telephone and the use of a loaner set as needed. Needless to
say most folks thought he was calling from the phone company. His
fatal mistake was in telling one person he contacted that he was
associated with IBT. He accidentally called an IBT security guy at
home to peddle his repair/telephone loaner service. IBT later admitted
they could not stop him from being incorporated as "The Phone Company"
since IBT does not own that trademark. Nor could they prevent him from
sending out bills each month which looked amazingly like theirs. They
*could* stop him from saying he was associated with IBT, and they did.
In the meantime, the Illinois Consumer Fraud office convinced the man
it would be a good idea to abandon his use of the phrase "The Phone
Company".  PAT]