Psion takes on big guns over netbooks

 

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Posted on 21 Jan 2009 at 15:23

Psion says it will shortly hold discussions with "major players" in the PC industry over its claim to the term "netbook".

Late last year it was reported that the company had written to retailers and bloggers, asking them to stop using the term netbook, which Psion registered as a trademark in the 1990s.

Now, in a new advisory that has been leaked to PC Pro by one of the targets of Psion's warning, the company says it "expects to be discussing this issue with the major players in Q1 2009".

Intel is widely credited with first coining the term netbook to describe the new breed of low-cost, ultraportable laptops. The chip maker continues to use the phrase on its website and marketing materials.

However, a spokesman for Intel says the company has no plans to change its ways. "As we don't make or sell netbooks per se, we regard it as a generic term that's widely used across the industry," a spokesperson told PC Pro. "We believe we can continue to use the term as such."

Taking action

Psion says the term hasn't yet seeped into the public's consciousness. "Although the level of generic (ie descriptive) use of 'netbook' within the tech community is quite high, the level of consumer understanding and recognition of this term in the generic or descriptive sense is still low," the Psion advisory claims.

"So while it may seem to be a complicated picture, the reality is that 'netbook' is not sufficiently generic to violate our trademark registrations."

Psion says it would prefer the industry - and journalists and bloggers - to use the term ultraportable, "because we think ordinary consumers will more easily understand that 'ultraportable' implies small, light and low-cost, as well as functionality that is constrained compared to a laptop or notebook computer."

However, the term ultraportable has been widely used over the years to describe any small laptop, irrespective of cost.

Money-making scheme?

Psion says the trademark enforcement isn't an attempt to cash in on the netbook craze, and that it may continue to use the term in future product releases.

"We have not sought compensation at all from any party contacted," it claims. "We have no intention of selling the 'Netbook' trademark registrations either, valuable as they may be."

However, the company doesn't rule out future compensation claims. "Litigation is always a last resort," Psion's advisory concludes.

Author: Barry Collins