Microsoft trademark setback; U.S. says 'Windows' is a generic term

Article Abstract:

The US Patent and Trademark Office issued a preliminary ruling that the term 'Windows' is a generic computer industry term, and cannot be a registered trademark for Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system. The Patent Office released a 31-page letter detailing its decision, but Microsoft stressed that this was only the first stage of the process, since it has six months in which to persuade the office to reverse its ruling. The decision may then be appealed with the Patent Office's board of appeals, and then with a Federal court. The ruling is a blow to Microsoft, which sold 12 million units of the software in 1992, and which had sought to license the name to applications programmers in return for some control over content. The ruling should open the way for imitators to sell products with variations of the Windows name.

Computer peripheral equipment, not elsewhere classified, Microsoft Corp., Investigations, Intellectual property, MSFT, United States. Patent and Trademark Office, Microsoft Windows (GUI), GUI, Graphical user interfaces, Graphical user interface, Trademark, Investigation

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U.S. Companies Benefit From One-Time Law on Foreign Profits

Article Abstract:

Corporations are taking advantage of a one-time tax break that encourages them to bring finances back into the United States, but instead of using that money for job creation, as lawmakers intended, many are using it to finance acquisitions that will result in job losses.

United States, Electronic computers, Legal issues & crime, Acquisitions & mergers, Government regulation (cont), Government expenditures, Financial management, Government regulation, Management dynamics, Pharmaceutical preparations, Personnel administration, Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing, Soap, Cleaners, and Toilet Goods, Taxes, Legal/Government Regulation, Grain Mill Products, Soaps & Detergents, Management, Computer industry, Taxation, Laws, regulations and rules, Human resource management, Pharmaceutical industry, Mergers, acquisitions and divestments, Finance, Microcomputer industry, Company acquisition/merger, International aspects, Corporate taxes, Economic policy, Hewlett-Packard Co., Eli Lilly and Co., Oracle Corp., ORCL, Procter & Gamble Co., Soap and cleaning agents industry, Cleaning agents industry, Corporations, Cereal products industry, Kellogg Co., Tax policy, Company business management, Company personnel management, LLY, Company financing, HPQ

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