Intellectual Property Law

Cool But Scary: Trademark Filings Can Signal Product Strategy

By Michael Atkins

Seattle TechFlash blogger Eric Engleman wonders here and here whether Amazon.com’s federal trademark application signals that the company’s KINDLE electronic book reader will soon turn into a social networking device.

As he reports, Amazon.com has applied on an intent-to-use basis to register KINDLE (Serial No. 77769510) for “Online social networking services; providing a website for the purposes of social networking; providing online computer databases and online searchable databases in the field of social networking; providing information in the field of social networking.”

For the observer, it’s kind of cool that one can learn this type of information simply by searching the Patent and Trademark Office’s database.

For the owner of a trademark application, it’s kind of scary.

Full post as published by Seattle Trademark Lawyer on December 03, 2009 (boomark / email).