Hasbro Sues Asus Over Transformer Prime Tablet

[ProtoKun7]

Why sue 'em now when the tablet was released quite before?

Not that long ago.

 

[Ace Overclocked]

if they ban it now they can't sell more copies, and asus will get legally punished...

 

[Gahars]

Why sue 'em now when the tablet was released quite before?

Not that long ago.

Then again, you see time as a big ball of wibbly wobbly, time-y wimey stuff.

On topic, this article says that the tablet has actually been delayed until 2012. So yeah, definitely pretty recent, and definitely created after the series (Which premiered in 2010, according to Wikipedia).

 

[spiritofcat]

Hasbro are legally obliged to protect their trademarks.
They have a TV show called Transformers Prime, so a tablet called Transformer Prime is close enough that it counts as an infringement on their trademark.
If they don't take this legal action then they lose the rights to the name of their TV show. It's not a matter of them wanting to attack ASUS, it's just a standard requirement of Intelectual Property Law.

Same as when Bethesda had to sue Mojang over the game called Scrolls.

It's a legal obligation, the companies have no choice but to pursue these actions.

 

[Zetta_x]

The thing is that words are just notation for some ideas. For example, each word registers differently to different people because people associate these notations to different (maybe similar ideas).

It's silly as human beings why we would want to waste so much resources claiming ownership of just the notations when the actual ideas have no relevance.

 

[Rydian]

Why sue 'em now when the tablet was released quite before?

Not that long ago.

The "Transformer" was released a bit ago. The new model is the "Transformer Prime".

Same as when Bethesda had to sue Mojang over the game called Scrolls.

Well it turns out that was because Mojang was trying to trademark the name...

The thing is that words are just notation for some ideas. For example, each word registers differently to different people because people associate these notations to different (maybe similar ideas).

It's silly as human beings why we would want to waste so much resources claiming ownership of just the notations when the actual ideas have no relevance.

People refer to the ideas using the word.

"Brand recognition" is EXTREMELY powerful, companies that know even the basics of advertising will sell their souls to make it happen.

 

[ProtoKun7]

Why sue 'em now when the tablet was released quite before?

Not that long ago.

The "Transformer" was released a bit ago. The new model is the "Transformer Prime".

For the record, this was what I was referring to.

 

[Rydian]

Yar, was adding more info.

'Cause I'm Rydian, I VOMIT info.

 

[ProtoKun7]

Yar, was adding more info.

'Cause I'm Rydian, I VOMIT info.

I just don't want people thinking there are things I don't know.

 

[Rydian]

I just don't want people thinking there are things I don't know.

What color boxers am I wearing?

 

[Zetta_x]

"Brand recognition" is EXTREMELY powerful, companies that know even the basics of advertising will sell their souls to make it happen.

What have I been saying for years: What makes a good terrorist organization? Brand recognition, brand recognition! - Family Guy

 

[alphamule]

You guys *have* to be joking right now. I'm starting to think you're just opposing it because it's Hasbro and not because it's blatantly obvious that people can be confused by the name - two trademarked names BY Hasbro. Regardless of whether to two words separated have their own meanings, the name is heavily related to Transformers and that franchise's character. Seriously, if you don't see this - i can't help you. I honestly can't.

You can't copyright words like Transformer and Prime, seeing as how Transformers were invented long before the toy was and Prime was used as a math term long before Optimus Prime was created.

Not each word, the phrase. 'Transformers Prime' is copyrighted.

"Transformers" is. "Transformer" is not. "Optimus Prime" is. "Prime" is not. "Transformers Prime" may be copyrighted, but that isn't the name of the tablet, as it doesn't include the 's' after "Transformer".

All they have to do is prove that consumers would be confused at how close those are.

Exactly. Varies by jurisdiction but usually you only have to prove confusion or a deliberately misleading name. A lot of people thought it was related...

"Brand recognition" is EXTREMELY powerful, companies that know even the basics of advertising will sell their souls to make it happen.

What have I been saying for years: What makes a good terrorist organization? Brand recognition, brand recognition! - Family Guy

Cooooooooobra! GI Joe did it too, though. So I guess it applies to antiterrorists as well. That or they're BOTH terrorists. Err, no, that would be stupid.

 

[kano]

The point is that they can hardly reasonably claim to own any combination of two words that are prominent in their franchises.

Eeeexactly. Let's start suing people for using the term "Prime Time", or LG for calling its handsets Optimus.

There is nothing inheritently Transformer-ish in Transformer Prime, they're not infringing Transformers in the slightest. They just "happen" to have a similar name. Marketing reasons, obviously - people are familiar with both words and are likely to react positively upon hearing them. Regardless of that though, there is no infringement going on.

Alright then let them call their next tablet The Zelda Link.

lol then Nintendo would sue Robin Williams for naming his daughter Zelda rofl