From: Richard (newtontalk_at_rssternberg.org)
Date: Fri Sep 23 2005 - 10:04:07 PDT
There are all sorts of legal issues involved. Even if you got the =20
trademark somehow, there are all sorts of copyrights and patents that =20=
are surely going to prevent you from taking the Newton forward =20
without the licenses and a decent search of all intellectual property =20=
rights here and internationally. This would not be a minor =20
investment. But, I also believe that Newton technology is still =20
current after all these years. If you find a way to get rights to the =20=
collected IP that is the Newton -- presumably from Apple, I would =20
join in a partnership to bring it back to life. I'm a lawyer in =20
Washington, D.C., and I at one point thought I had millions of =20
dollars from investors willing to try such an idea. I suspect I can't =20=
raise anywhere near that amount of money for the basic rights this =20
many years later, especially since we'll need millions for =20
redesigning the form factor, making it a telephone, getting it =20
accepted by the major wireless providers, and marketing it, but we =20
might be able to create all sorts of interesting financing if the =20
price is right for the abandoned Newton technology. BTW, some =20
informal research done a while ago indicated that the most important =20
element, the handwriting recognition technology, may not have been =20
created or owned by Apple. If so, straightening out the IP questions =20
could be very difficult.
In direct answer to your question, the place to start is Apple. You =20
might be able to trace the applicable patents and the trademarks =20
without Apple's help at some expense, but you'll never get a handle =20
on the copyright issues that way unless Apple already sold the whole =20
kit to someone and that bill of sale reveals the IP title history.
-- Richard S. Sternberg
Richard_at_MetroWashingtonLaw.com
Managing Principal/CEO
2120 L Street, N.W., Suite 210
Washington, D.C. 20037
=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=96=
=96=96=96=96
10605 Judicial Drive #B-5
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
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9620 Trailridge Terrace #100
Potomac, Maryland 20854-2801
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=96=96=96=96
(202) 530-0100 Main Number
On Sep 23, 2005, at 12:21 PM, John Hay wrote:
> I tried searching on wikiwikinewt for "Trademark" to see if there =20
> was an
> information pertaning to the Newton Trademark, who currently owns the
> rights, etc., but the search came up blank. Probably Apple still =20
> has the
> rights to the Newton Tradename/Trademark, but I don't actually know =20=
> this
> for a fact.
>
> For example, if one wanted to do a production run of new Newtons, =20
> 2200's
> or whatever, who would they contact for licensing? Just curious. =20
> TIA, John
>
> --=20
> This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all =20
> inquiries
> Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
> WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/=20
> wikiwikinewt/
>
>
>
-- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
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