Lezard Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 OMG: Russia entrepreneur looks for $$$ from ;-) Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 1:11pm EST (AP) MOSCOW How much would you pay for a ;-)? A Russian businessman has trademarked the emoticon _ or combination of punctuation marks _ used to convey a wink in text messages and e-mail. Oleg Teterin, president of the mobile ad company Superfone, said Thursday he doesn't plan on tracking down individual users following the decision by the federal patent agency. "I want to highlight that this is only directed at corporations, companies that are trying to make a profit without the permission of the trademark holder," he said in comments to NTV. Companies will be sent legal warnings if they use the symbol without his permission, he said. "Legal use will be possible after buying an annual license from us," he was quoted by Kommersant as saying. "It won't cost that much _ tens of thousands of dollars." He also said since other similar emoticons _ :-) or ;) or :) _ resemble the one he has trademarked, use of those symbols could also fall under his ownership. Other Russian Internet entrepreneurs reacted to the effort predictably _ >:( "Imagine the next wise-guy who trademarks the 33 letters of the Russian alphabet and then says anyone who uses the Russian alphabet has to send him money. It's absurd," Alexander Manis, the director of a broadband internet and mobile company, told NTV. Maksim Mashkov, owner of an Internet cafe and bookstore, said he doubted the trademark's legal basis since the symbol has existed in the public domain for years. Indeed, Russia media said Teterin wasn't the first to try to trademark the symbol in Russia. Kommersant said a St. Petersburg court in 2005 agreed with an appeal from the German corporation Siemens, which was sued by a Russian man claiming he held the trademark. Scott Fahlman, a professor at the Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, claims that he was the first to use three keystrokes _ a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis _ as a horizontal "smiley face" in a computer message 25 years ago. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Spork) Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 why is this in the BPN Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258596 Share on other sites More sharing options...
leph555 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 why haven't we thought of this before ? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258602 Share on other sites More sharing options...
primexx Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 why haven't we thought of this before ? because, like the article said, it's absurd and no court will enforce it for him. by the way, I'm starting a company called ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-), anyone wana buy my awesome product of ;-) and :-)? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258630 Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightIdea Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 ;-) Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258638 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astra.Xtreme Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 ;-) sue me Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258656 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowl Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) ;-) :-) Oh ****, im bankrupt now. :-( Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258668 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusuf M. Veteran Posted December 11, 2008 Veteran Share Posted December 11, 2008 Is it just me or is this thread page way off centre? It stretches to the right. Anyway, I bet someone will trademark "lol, rofl, lmao, and leet/1337". Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258808 Share on other sites More sharing options...
qdave Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 some of you didn not uderstand the article. it is directed at companies and corporations. wise guy that russian is:P he might earn a decend living from that :) as for forum...did not break for me. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258832 Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I think they understand it. It's still something to make fun of because, even restricted to companies and corporations, it's a ridiculous thing to try and trademark. -Spenser Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258844 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmehdi Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 WHERE IS THE SOURCE ? No source for the article, might be just a joke . Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258886 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2687 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...5GdInwD950NQ680 Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258896 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis W. Veteran Posted December 11, 2008 Veteran Share Posted December 11, 2008 Is it just me or is this thread page way off centre? It stretches to the right. Anyway, I bet someone will trademark "lol, rofl, lmao, and leet/1337". This page looks like a train wreck in Opera. Thanks Sethos :p Oh, as for trademarking "leet," I doubt that. Didn't that word make it to the Oxford Dictionary? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590258908 Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeblogg Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 i really doubt someone will trademark 1337. that would be horrible. 133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337 1337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371 3371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713 3713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133 7133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337 1337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371 3371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713 3713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133713371337133 71337 Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590259034 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echilon Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Trademarking is free, right? How can you make money from something you stole for free? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/708888-omg-russia-entrepreneur-looks-for-from/#findComment-590262364 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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