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From: gs26@prism.gatech.edu (Glenn R. Stone)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: The "Bell" Logo
Message-ID: <15198@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 4 Dec 90 21:48:03 GMT
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In <15171@accuvax.nwu.edu> mailrus!uflorida!rm1!bapat@uunet.uu.net
(Subodh Bapat) writes:

>Talking about the Bell logo, is there any truth to the rumor that,
>once long ago, AT&T lost its right to use the Bell logo, as the
>copyright expired and they forgot to renew it? The story I heard was
>that they had to pay a lot of money to get it back from some smart
>entrepreneur who, in the meantime, sneaked in and got the copyright
>for himself.                                              ^^^^^^^^^

The use of the word "copyright" itself renders the entire rumor at
least partially bogus ... A logo or word is subject to *trademark*,
not copyright; once either is lost (trademarks are good so long as the
company chooses to enforce it; copyrights have a definite lifetime)
the mark or work is Public Domain and no one can acquire exclusive
rights to it anymore. (Trademarks don't "expire"; they lose their
exclusivity when a company chooses not to enforce them.  Once this
occurs, the company cannot then chose to again start enforcing it,
however.)  Moreover, the "Bell" logo would qualify as a "famous"
trademark (like the Golden Arches of McDonalds or the Checkerboard
Square of Ralston Purina) and the Patents and Trademarks Office would
disallow registry in the first place, even for something totally
unrelated.

So on a purely legal argument, I'd say you've got yourself an urban
legend.


Glenn R. Stone (gs26@prism.gatech.edu)