Sony trademarks 'Shock and Awe'

dabitch's picture
Posted by dabitch on 10. April 2003 - 13:31

Sony has patented the term "Shock and Awe" for a computer game The Guardian reports.

Sony is set to launch a computer game called "Shock and Awe", having registered the defining phrase of the coalition's military campaign as a trademark in the US. The term was registered as a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office on March 21 - just one day after war started.

"The phrase, coined by former US navy pilot Harlan Ullman, was adopted by Washington to describe the fierce bombardment of Baghdad on the second night of the war - the military tactic designed to bully the Iraqi resistance into submission."

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Submitted by tlevitz on 12. April 2003 - 14:40.
tlevitz's picture

I can't decide whether I want to admire them for their forward thinking nature (and old Harlan's given me a case of tagline/catchy phrase envy) or jump up, shaking my fist and yelling "all right! this is getting out of hand!"

Isn't registering/ even thinking about registering a trademark the day after, a wee bit mercenary?

No pun intended.

Submitted by dabitch on 12. April 2003 - 14:47.
dabitch's picture

You know what's scarier?

Seach the database here: us patents. Fifteen other companies wanted to register that phrase.

Submitted by tlevitz on 14. April 2003 - 14:44.
tlevitz's picture

What wise man once said "I weep for the future?"

Say the whole "shock and awe" thing had gone the other way in a bad, bad way (instead of producing a, well, whatever it produced)... and the news of this little rush to register came out... there's a reason why certain territory, no matter how tempting, should not be ventured into.

Wonder if the guys at Sony are done congratulating themselves yet?

Submitted by dabitch on 27. October 2003 - 14:02.
dabitch's picture

It doesn't end there kids! Reutersa reports that there are now 29 trademark applications for the warrior phrase!

How about a Bloody 'Shock and Awe' Mary mix?

October 23 2003 at 07:51PM
Reuters

Washington - From condoms to coffees, a wave of trademark applications using "Shock and Awe" in their names is hitting the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Seven months after the most overused clich

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