3 ms·

>Most recently, Automattic attempted to claim it owns the word “automatic.” What is wrong with these people?

wmf 1mo ago
That's how you can tell the article isn't giving you the full picture.
gkoberger 1mo ago
I was curious what this meant, so I looked into it. They asked Automatic.css to change their name: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/comments/1omrtrk/automattic_wants_a_popular_framework_called/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/comments/1omrtrk/automatt... Automatic.css is a paid CSS framework specifically for WordPress. Legally speaking I have no opinion here, but I don't think it's as out-of-pocket as it sounds.
- hermitcrab 1mo ago
  The article linked ( https://www.404media.co/automattic-automatic-trademark-matt-mullenweg-kevin-geary/ https://www.404media.co/automattic-automatic-trademark-matt-... ) is behind a paywall. But reading https://www.searchenginejournal.com/automattic-disputes-use-of-word-automatic-for-wordpress-product/560353/ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/automattic-disputes-use-... it sounds like the claim 'Automattic attempted to claim it owns the word “automatic"' might not be accurate.
  - notahacker 1mo ago
    Yeah, regardless of other aspects of Automattic's behaviour, flagging that an identically-pronounced single letter variation of their registered company name might be a confusingly similar brand for a third party commercial service specifically designed to customise Automattic's product to adopt seems to be at the reasonable end of trademark disputes...
- BeetleB 1mo ago
  [flagged]
  - baublet 1mo ago
    FUD. Don’t spread nonsense. They’re as rigorous as any other tech journo, you just have an axe to grind.
    - BeetleB 1mo ago
      I don't see how this is FUD. Both a sibling comment and my parent pointed out that there's more to the story than simply "claiming the word automatic." They provided extra context (which the article didn't). I am merely relating my experience that stuff like this is common with 404 Media. They'll omit nuances - whether intentionally or just being shoddy.
      - bewuethr 1mo ago
        The article links to an entire separate article about automatic.css.
  - Crontab 1mo ago
    Hard disagree. 404 has been awesome since being founded.
cheema33 1mo ago
"Windows", "Word" and "Excel" are just plain English words, but it appears you can trademark them for specific industry. Maybe you have to make it more specific. Like "Microsoft Windows"?

wmf 1mo ago

That's how you can tell the article isn't giving you the full picture.

I was curious what this meant, so I looked into it. They asked Automatic.css to change their name: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/comments/1omrtrk/automattic_wants_a_popular_framework_called/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/comments/1omrtrk/automatt... Automatic.css is a paid CSS framework specifically for WordPress. Legally speaking I have no opinion here, but I don't think it's as out-of-pocket as it sounds.

hermitcrab 1mo ago
The article linked ( https://www.404media.co/automattic-automatic-trademark-matt-mullenweg-kevin-geary/ https://www.404media.co/automattic-automatic-trademark-matt-... ) is behind a paywall. But reading https://www.searchenginejournal.com/automattic-disputes-use-of-word-automatic-for-wordpress-product/560353/ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/automattic-disputes-use-... it sounds like the claim 'Automattic attempted to claim it owns the word “automatic"' might not be accurate.
- notahacker 1mo ago
  Yeah, regardless of other aspects of Automattic's behaviour, flagging that an identically-pronounced single letter variation of their registered company name might be a confusingly similar brand for a third party commercial service specifically designed to customise Automattic's product to adopt seems to be at the reasonable end of trademark disputes...
BeetleB 1mo ago
[flagged]
- baublet 1mo ago
  FUD. Don’t spread nonsense. They’re as rigorous as any other tech journo, you just have an axe to grind.
  - BeetleB 1mo ago
    I don't see how this is FUD. Both a sibling comment and my parent pointed out that there's more to the story than simply "claiming the word automatic." They provided extra context (which the article didn't). I am merely relating my experience that stuff like this is common with 404 Media. They'll omit nuances - whether intentionally or just being shoddy.
    - bewuethr 1mo ago
      The article links to an entire separate article about automatic.css.
- Crontab 1mo ago
  Hard disagree. 404 has been awesome since being founded.

cheema33 1mo ago

"Windows", "Word" and "Excel" are just plain English words, but it appears you can trademark them for specific industry. Maybe you have to make it more specific. Like "Microsoft Windows"?