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Posted on 05/11/2016 6:11:25 AM PDT by dayglored
Sue Googe is a 2016 Republican candidate who hopes to represent the 4th Congressional District of North Carolina in United States Congress. Also, her surname looks like the Google logo — especially as it's written on her campaign signs, which use a font that's identical to Google's bespoke sans-serif typeface.
[She's the one in the middle)
[Lots more article and pics at The Verge article]
...
(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...
Maybe techie pings?
Somebody thought that headline was awesome and wrote a story around it. I’d almost have to concur!
I wouldn’t have made the Google connection had I not read this article. Still not entirely sure that I do
Unless Google can prove that the font is trademarked by them, they have no case whatsoever. It is her actual name. And it is monochromatic.
I do wish that writers would learn to suppress their urge to use words like “bespoke”, which is not well understood in the U.S.
After all, the story is about the United States, not Britain.
Wisconsin (on the left)won, and forced Washburn to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to put a new logo everywhere. I couldn't believe they were successful, but they were.
I hope you’re right...but look at the two “W” letters in my post 7. The plaintiff won that suit, and I don’t think the two are even that similar.
Googe isn't using 4 colors and is using a common font. It's not like Google developed and trademarked that font exclusively for them.
But alas, for liberals, this has nothing to do with legalities or technicalities.
This would just be an excuse to attack a republican.
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck . . .
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers . . .
DANG!
Yanks would call “custom” what Brits call “bespoke.”
The now defunct company Coby used an open source font for their logo, and got away with it, that was similar to but not exactly the same as Sony’s. However it is possible that the Google font really was created custom (bespoke) for Google, including the slanted horizontal stroke in the ‘e’, in which case Google would have a valid legal reason to take umbrage at Googe’s campaign for using it. Although this was clever of Googe, I’m not sure a GOP campaign should be evoking associations to Google.
Sue Sued by Google over Googe?
Sorry - I should have made it clear I understand the word, but also know that international technical documents are not allowed to use it (as well as others) because it is not well recognized in too many places.
I think I said that Google would have to have trademarked the font, which is the key to legal action. Basically, they would have to show (1) that they have the legal right to disallow use and (2) that the font used by Googe infringes on their intellectual property.
However, IANAL.
It would be funny if they did.
I seem to remember that Google themselves were sued over the name by those that hold the copyright to a cartoon character Barney Google. I believe they won the suit.
Trademarking and copyright both.
I kind of like the term bespoke, because it means spoken for. It sounds a little more custom than custom, which has been cheapened into a term used for things like a mass produced series of automotive trim.
You cannot trademark color. Red, green, blue have been around before Google.
Sleazy oligarchs try to copyright common, in use knowledge because Govt gives out ill gotten monopoly which means mega money.
I own the copyright to the period “.” punctuation. Please seek my permission before using each period. Thanks.
“It is her actual name”
That does not really matter in copyright or trademark cases.
My surname is the same as a famous brand but I would not be allowed to sell a product with my name on it.
A few years ago a member of the Gallo family (wines) started a cheese business and had the Gallo name on it. The wine Gallo sued and the cheese Gallo had to change the name of their product.
So a name is not a shield.
Googe’s advertising is monochrome.
There’s a possibility that trademark can unfairly step on others’ toes. There’s a fellow surnamed Nissan with an auto repair shop who has gotten all manner of grief from Nissan Motors about advertising under his family name, even though that was older than Nissan Motors. But in this case it pretty much looks like an adaptation of Google.
I think Googe’s campaign could do fine with a different font for her name. After all she is running as a politician not an IT company.
You used 4 periods “.” in your reply after I mentioned I own the copyright for the period “.” punctuation.
Please have your lawyer contact my lawyer for an equitable out of court settlement. :-)
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