Psion Teklogix sending out cease & desist letters to netbook-centric websites

Wow, talk about spreading that holiday cheer. Psion Teklogix has apparently hired a legal team to write up cease & desist letters that are being sent out to select netbook enthusiast websites. One particular letter is pictured above, and we can only assume the URL is hidden for the safety of those involved. jkOnTheRun dug a little deeper into the matter and found that the outfit did indeed produce a Netbook and Netbook Pro back in the day, and while the surprisingly netbook-like devices (imagine that, right?) have since been discontinued, it is still making compatible accessories. Something tells us Psion waited a touch too late to pick this fight, but just in case Engadget is next in line for one of these letters, we'll be utilizing the term smallcheap(er)book for the foreseeable future. Hope that's okay.

[Jon Samuelsson @ Dec 24th 2008 8:08PM]

douche bags

[Dan @ Dec 25th 2008 1:33AM]

I agree, netbook is a type of laptop. Psion should be happy that they created one of the first netbooks. Maybe they should create a new one and they got free marketing.

[Sneakz @ Dec 24th 2008 8:28PM]

They'll probably never send a letter to Intel for using the term out of fear of the Core™ 2 Extreme anal raping Intel lawyers will give them.

[ricosuave @ Dec 24th 2008 8:43PM]

'Twas the night before netbook, when all through the netbook

Not a netbook was stirring, not even a netbook;

[Indy @ Dec 24th 2008 9:59PM]

wow... a quick Google search for the term Netbook returns 26,900,000 results. I wonder how many pages deep I'd need to go to find Psion other than references to this story...

[Dave @ Dec 24th 2008 10:05PM]

"but just in case Engadget is next in line for one of these letters, we'll be utilizing the term smallcheap(er)book for the foreseeable future. Hope that's okay"

Wow, way to bend over before your turn Engadget...

[silverblackvoid @ Dec 24th 2008 11:15PM]

fuck you Psion

[Keith Myers @ Dec 25th 2008 1:29PM]

You said it, Sorry I could not resist posting a "Netbook" Refrence on my own page. Enjoy

http://k-disk.com/home/page.php?page=ChoosingTheRightNetboot

"I do not believe that Psion Teclogix should be allowed to own the name "Netbook", yet to send cease and desist letters to other websites who rave about them. This is stupid on many levels, the first of course, it is free advertising. What if every business started trademarking the product they do best, McDonalds would own the term "hamburger", Ford would own the term "SUV" and Google would own the internet... Please show your support to many of the other websites by contacting and boycotting Psion. The world needs to be freed from these companies who launch these pointless and frivolous cases"

[Morgan @ Dec 25th 2008 7:47PM]

@Dave:

Obviously sarcasm isn't in your humor dictionary; maybe it's time for an upgrade?

[R. Meelker @ Dec 26th 2008 8:53PM]

Should I check my SPAM box?
R. Meelker
Owner NetbookSupport.com & NetbookService.com

[Kris120890 @ Dec 24th 2008 8:09PM]

You know when the patent system is fuckedup when people can patent words to products that aren't made any more. Soon we will be able to sue companys for being complete and utter dicks.

Netbooks NetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooksNetbooks
Suck on that

[Jason @ Dec 24th 2008 9:10PM]

It's not a patent. It's a trademark. Infringement of a trademark is about confusion. Seeing how many people here are confused, they might have a case - but only against those selling a product.

However, a media outlet (newspaper or blog) using a trademarked brand name synecdochically to generically represent all such products is no more infringement than calling a facial tissue a kleenex.

[Jaimi @ Dec 24th 2008 9:11PM]

Patents? Who said anything about patents? This is about a "Trademark" which is something completely different. Your comment makes absolutely no sense whatsover. And to misquote "Billy Madison", we are all dumber for having read it, and may God have mercy on our souls.

I believe a whole host of lawyers will find this trademark too diluted, and this will go down quickly.

[ethana2 @ Dec 25th 2008 2:28AM]

"Soon we will be able to sue companys for being complete and utter dicks."
...at which point you'll probably want to change your avatar.

[Ridgecity @ Dec 25th 2008 4:19AM]

I think trademarks should come from new word or play on words, not putting 2 words together to make a new one.

It's like the guys that want Nintendo to pay for "Wiimote", they call it Wii remote, everyone says Wiimote, and somehow I never imagined someone had a product called that before.

[Game_playa @ Dec 24th 2008 8:10PM]

What?

[Paulmichael @ Dec 24th 2008 8:10PM]

Back to subnotebook then? HAHA like the internet takes their kinda crap...

[eyEi @ Dec 24th 2008 8:43PM]

What about Nettbook? or NehtBook?

Perhaps I should trade mark those puppies!!

[CleverEndeavor @ Dec 24th 2008 8:13PM]

when the internet wants, it gets, we refuse to give up the word "netbook!"

[AVG @ Dec 24th 2008 8:13PM]

People hated the word so much originally and now have grown to truly accept it. It's a beautiful thing. Sort of like Wii.

...

No, I still hate Wii.

[Paulmichael @ Dec 24th 2008 8:54PM]

Nope, I still hate the netbook term. Though I dislike the name Wii more.

[Jason @ Dec 24th 2008 9:11PM]

I don't mind netbook, but nettop makes me want to vomit.

[WedgeTalon @ Dec 24th 2008 8:17PM]

This doesn't seem like the best of ideas... "Netbook" has become a generic term and is not enforceable, I would say. They probably also don't meet other requirements for challenging the other entities over trademark infringement. Given that, Wikipedia says:

Wrongful or groundless threats of infringement

Various jurisdictions have laws which are designed to prevent trademark owners from making wrongful threats of trademark infringement action against other parties. These laws are intended to prevent large or powerful companies from intimidating or harassing smaller companies.

Where one party makes a threat to sue another for trademark infringement, but does not have a genuine basis or intention to carry out that threat, or does not carry out the threat at all within a certain period, the threat may itself become a basis for legal action. In this situation, the party receiving such a threat may seek from the Court, a declaratory judgment; also known as a declaratory ruling.

[BigD145 @ Dec 24th 2008 8:21PM]

Laptop. LAPTOP!!!

Just call it what it is.

[Dave @ Dec 24th 2008 8:23PM]

No it isn't! It's a freaking netbook! Learn your form factors!

[AVG @ Dec 24th 2008 8:26PM]

What about hiptops?

[Paulmichael @ Dec 24th 2008 8:55PM]

Or palmtops?

[eyEi @ Dec 24th 2008 9:04PM]

or Lapdance... oh wait....

[w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 @ Dec 24th 2008 9:08PM]

@avg
no hiptop is already trademarked and they own the sidekick.
http://www.hiptop.com/

[BigD145 @ Dec 24th 2008 9:59PM]

The under 10-inchers fit in your lap, unlike the hulking 17"+. They also tend not to burn your legs. How could they not be laptops?

[STINK @ Dec 24th 2008 10:26PM]

pr0nbook?

[microboo @ Dec 27th 2008 5:26PM]

Tubetop?

[SlashX @ Dec 24th 2008 8:27PM]

netboook. ha see what i did there

[IndiaTech @ Dec 24th 2008 8:27PM]

"we'll be utilizing the term smallcheap(er)book for the foreseeable future. Hope that's okay."

No. It's not OK. Stick it to the MAN. Like you did with T-Mo.

[digitallysick @ Dec 24th 2008 8:31PM]

Oh yeah, well im going to patent the word computer, so anyone that uses it will have to pay me money thanks

[Kris120890 @ Dec 24th 2008 8:35PM]

You can't. Simple as.

[Casey @ Dec 24th 2008 8:43PM]

Sarcasm? What is that?

[Kris120890 @ Dec 24th 2008 8:54PM]

If that was pointed at me then please realise I was playing along.

[Tallest Skil @ Dec 24th 2008 8:37PM]

Dear Psion,

Netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook, netbook.

Signed,

The Internet: Home of Free Speech

[ILoveApple @ Dec 24th 2008 8:44PM]

NO. The home of free speech is right here, the United States of America. I married my first cousin and we have 7 beautiful children, we sit at home infront of the TV everyday with me drinking beer, my wife cooking and the children singing spongebob.

I own 12 handguns and 23 shotguns. I love killing deer, nothing better than deep-fried deer burgers!

[w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 @ Dec 24th 2008 10:34PM]

@iloveapple
wow. how many of you kids have disabilities?

[Matt @ Dec 25th 2008 7:21AM]

Not to delve into a creepy discussion, but as a bio student we read a lot of case studies about cousin or closer relationships, and the increase in genetic abnormalities is pretty much negligible compared to mating with any other person until you get 5+ generations down the road, and in some cases even safer for the child since you are more likely to share an rH factor with a relative, reducing the chance of the mothers body attacking the baby as a foreign body in the womb.

For Christmas, have some creepy science.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Dec 24th 2008 8:42PM]

That does it, to to be the guy who changed his name to Apple iPod, I will now have to change mine to Netbook Netbookington! yeah right. netbooks are netbooky.

[Byrdman @ Dec 24th 2008 8:42PM]

Psion, I have one word for you:

Fail.

[YpoCaramel @ Dec 24th 2008 10:11PM]

You fail.

Psion really made, sold and trademarked a netbook years ago. It their trademark, like it or not. They don't have to let you use it if they don't want to.

[Alex99 @ Dec 24th 2008 8:43PM]

I can't believe you guys are going to cave to these idiots. Where are your balls?

[whatishalo? @ Dec 24th 2008 9:26PM]

I think what he means is "Sue can't teach so I am going to do her"

[gadjitfreek @ Dec 25th 2008 7:13AM]

Right here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs8FywCj4Wc

[Ryan Meray @ Dec 24th 2008 8:49PM]

If you can't do, teach. If you can't teach, sue.

[Kris120890 @ Dec 24th 2008 8:52PM]

I suggest you reread that.