Dell trademarked "Cloud Computing" and no-one noticed
A trademark on the term "cloud computing" has left the public opposition phase unchallenged. The filer? Dell.
This phrase is often used to describe using one's computer as a terminal for applications and data storage hosted on the internet. According to The Industry Standard, however, Dell itself did not use it until very recently, despite a history of use going back at least as far as a New York Times article from 2001. Google currently returns 1.7m results for the exact term.
Dell is not the only company to go after this term. The first trademark application was made in 1998 under serial number 75291765 by NetCentric Corporation, a company that used to provide "carrier-class Internet fax technology." The application was killed less than a year later. Dell's application is dated March 23, 2007.
Dell knows it's a bogus application. More than just a generic technical term, it's a saturated buzzword used by countless companies and journalists to try and make the server-client model sexy. Perhaps a sudden move to corporate propriety is a blessing in disguise.
But still, what a bunch of disgusting shysters.
Original photo: Docman
Dell tries to trademark "cloud computing" [Industry Standard]
the latest
latest episodes
..but the plans were on display!
If the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office is stupid enough and/or corrupt enough to grant a trademark like that, then good for Dell for taking advantage of a failed system. The fault lies not in Dell but in the USPTO.