HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov (John Hutchinson)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Trademark advice
Date: 20 Aug 92 14:21:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: newshost.1992Aug20.142149.14554
Reply-To: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory

I've been developing a particular software program since early 1988 (therefore
first use = 1988).  Said program was published in a magazine in June of 1990
(first commercial use = June 1990).  After enhancing the program further and
obtaining all rights back from the magazine publisher, I have marketing this
program commercially since September 1991.  I have NOT bothered to file for a
trademark registration.

OK, so now I'm perusing a magazine for a computer platform I do not currently
support (but plan to) and what do you know?  I find another company advertising
software which does essentially what mine does and using the EXACT same name.
I don't believe this other company even knows of my or my products existence
due to the different computer platforms.  They have not registered or applied
for trademark registration either.  This is a NEW product for them by the way,
so I believe their first use in commerce would be around June 1992.

I am currently porting my software over to this other computer platform and 
would like to keep the name I started with way back in 1988.  The other company
is larger and more well healed financially than I am.  Since they have made
advertisements in national magazines and created 4-color flyers and 4-color
packaging, it's obvious they also have a sizeable investment in the product.
I have _not_ made a big dollar investment in this other platform as yet but
certainly plan to once the conversion is completed.

Should I:  a) Send them a "cease and desist" letter through my attorney,
              claiming ownership of the mark due to first use?
           b) File for registration of the mark ($200 filing fee) and then
              send the "cease and desist" letter?
           c) File for registration and wait (3-4 months) until I receive my
              actual trademark registration and then send them a "cease and
              desist" letter?
           d) Simply send a nicer letter explaining the situation and
              requesting dialog so that we can resolve the problem?

My goals in this issue are: 1) Avoid ANY costly legal battle;
                            2) Retain the right of my product name,
                          OR
                            3) Obtain a small cash settlement and _I_ will
                               change to a different product name.

My attorney has me confused.  What do YOU think?

Email replies would be appreciated.  Thanks!


___________________________ John "HUTCH" Hutchinson _________________________
_________________ Fair Dinkum Technologies     Member - IAAD  _______________
________________ "No worries, mate... it's from Fair Dinkum!" _______________
____________ email: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov   GEnie: FAIR-DINKUM _____________
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: collins@gdwest.gd.com (CWC 439085557 Collins)
Subject: Demographic Data Sought
Organization: General Dynamics / Computer Sciences Corp.
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 16:48:00 GMT

I am posting this for a friend.  Please respond to
collins@gdwest.gd.com

	I am looking to obtain some very detailed demographic
	information for the restaurant and hospitality
	industry in Southern California, the Baja of Mexico
	and the Gulf coasts of Lousiana and Texas.

	Given that I do not want to spend the thousands of
	dollars that it would cost to consult with the very
	best what is the best venue for obtaining such?

	For instance, if I were to put forth a considerable
	amount of time into researching it myself, could
	enough up-to-date information be extracted from a
	public or university library? 

	Or are there government agencies that have this
	information compiled for a lower cost than the
	private sector.

	Or are there other types of information services out
	there that can do the job?

	I am well awa1re that the quality and accuracy of what I
	getting may be directly proportional to what I
	pay, but I am just trying to reduce any costs in fees
	and in time.

	Thanks in advance.

	Anthony Henry
From: ivory@e7sa.epi.syr.ge.com (John Ivory)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: TLCI:  What's the word?
Date: 12 Aug 92 11:57:05 GMT
Reply-To: ivory@e7sa.epi.syr.ge.com
Organization: Tower Concepts


Has anybody had dealings with this group?  They present themselves
as someone who will market your ideas to manufacturers, and other
related services?  What's the word?


------------------------------------------------------------------------- \ \ \ 
   Tower Concepts                                          John E. Ivory   \ \
   103 Sylvan Way                                       ivory@crd.ge.com    \ \
   New Hartford, NY  13413                     ivory@e7sa.epi.syr.ge.com     \
   (315) 724-1471                                                             \
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Credit Card Merchant question
Date: 21 Aug 92 10:14:06 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

Couple of questions for those who already have merchant accounts.

How long does your contract require you to accept chargebacks on 
sales?

Did you have to establish a reserve account with the bank?  If so, for
how long and what percentage is reserved?

Email responses much appreciated.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
From: dlhpfm!dlh@NCoast.org (daniel lance herrick)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Finding Used Car Buyers
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 92 20:14:13 EDT
Organization: dlh Performance Marketing

djohnson@ti.com (Doug Johnson) writes:

> How do you find people who are buying used cars?

Aren't those the people who read the used car classifieds in the
papers?

> We have a business that will inspect a car for a buyer.  For $80.00,
> we'll come out to driveway, dealer's lot, wherever, in a well
> equipped van with a certified professional mechanic, and inspect the
> car, search for recalls, estimate any repairs, and estimate value.

Sounds like a nice piece of entrepreneurial imagination.

> So far, so good.  Our customers seem to be very happy with our service
> and we get a fair number of referrals.  We are having trouble
> expanding because we're having trouble finding cost effective ways of
> finding used car buyers.  Sellers are easy, they take out ads in the
> paper.  But buyers?

Buyers read those ads.

> Our most successful ad to date is one that runs in one of those local
> magzines full of classified ads.  A quarter page at the start of used
> car section.  We have had steady and increasing calls and sales.

Sounds like you are answering your own question.

> 
> Things we have tried:
> Ads in the AAA magazine -- lots of reader response cards, no sales.

This may be because the medium is no good.  It also may be because what
you send them is not making the sale.  But isn't the AAA magazine read
by people who own cars, not people who are looking for a car?

> Ads scattered among used car ads in the daily paper -- little response
>     and expensive. 

This is where your targets congregate, unlike the AAA magazine.  Have
you tried different ads and kept records on what works and what does
not work?

> We were featured by the consumer affairs reporter of a local TV
>     station on the evening news --- a few calls right after the show,
>     then nothing.  

In other words, the best thing you could have is a news article about
your service.  Even better is printing the article beside or among the
used car classified ads.  Better yet is getting such an article to run
every day or every week.  Any idea where this is leading?

Use a headline like "STOP - read this before you buy a used car". 
Write a news article of 500 to 1000 words and have it set like a news
article in the periodical you are advertising in (if the editor does
not insist on adding the word "advertisement" to your border you need
to work more on the cosmetice).  Run this article as a paid ad on
whatever frequency makes sense.  (You could even hire a reporter to do
the article.  However, you need to get your call to action into the
article at least twice - "Call this number to get your car inspected
before you buy it."

dan  of dlh Performance Marketing  POBox 1419  Mentor Ohio 44061
       NCoast.org!dlhpfm!dlh or ab.com!dlhpfm.uucp!dlh   (216)974-9637
"He who walks in integrity walks securely,
 But he who perverts his ways will be found out." Proverbs 10:9
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: ag423@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Frank Fijalkovich)
Subject: SCAM
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 18:54:54 GMT


I read on here a while ago about an area on here having to do
with variuos scams. Can anyone tell me exactly where it is ?
-- 
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: steve@nuchat.sccsi.com (Steve Nuchia)
Subject: Re: Getting accounts with dealers?
Organization: South Coast Computing Services, Inc.  Houston
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 14:09:22 GMT

In article <92224.013058U38134@uicvm.uic.edu> Noel B. Lorenzana <U38134@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:
>As a hobby, I install car stereo systems for friends and people
>referred to me. I make a modest profit and was wondering how to
[turn pro].

Call the local Small Business Administration office and register
for the next SCORE "Basics of Running a Small Business" seminar.
Do not argue, do not pass "go", do not collect $200, just do it.
-- 
Steve Nuchia      South Coast Computing Services, Inc.      (713) 661-3301
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: dao@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Dan Dao)
Subject: Hot dog stand
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 20:31:12 GMT
Reply-To: dao@rchland.vnet.ibm.com
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM Rochester

I would like to operate a hot dog stand. 
This will be in front of a supermarket or at a fair ground.
Could someone please help me in finding out what kind of ordinance (FDA,
Health Dept., etc...) I have to go through?

I live in Minnesota. 
Thanks

-- 

Dan Dao dao@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (507)253-8023
Disclaimer: 
 The opinion(s) express here, if any, is/are of my own not my
 employer's or any other organizations'.
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: asm@ecl.psu.edu
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Wanted: How to start a voice mail service
Date: 15 Aug 92 22:32:41 EDT
Distribution: ba
Organization: Engineering Computer Lab, Pennsylvania State University

In article <8ewJ022C1dN.01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com>, gag10@cd.amdahl.com (Gary Ganzie) writes:
> I have some information. In fact, I highly reccomend that you look into this.
> Everyone is going to voicemail.
> 
> Gary
> 
> 408-534-1970
-- 

What exactly voice mail does??. 
As far as my understanding goes it's another type of messaging service. how 
is different from having an answering m/c??.
--aravind
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: nader@bogart (Nader Sahyouni)
Subject: start-up questions
Reply-To: xns@nwu.edu
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 14:07:26 GMT


Hello there, 

my brother and I have almost completed some software we hope to market and
sell. We need to know how to:
1) get set up to receive Purchase Orders
2) get set up to receive credit card orders
3) whether or not to incorporate and what kind (S corp OK? Worth it?)
4) what kind of liability or other insurance do we need?
5) any other legal stuff anyone can think of that we have not?

I realize some of these questions are complicated, but any info
will help....

Thanks in advance,

X. Nader Sahyouni
xns@nwu.edu
From: cfhammer@guvax.georgetown.edu
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: tired . . .
Date: 23 Aug 92 11:01:34 -0400
Distribution: world
Organization: Georgetown University


hey folks,

things are getting a bit warm around here, eh? pro- and anti-amway
postings that respond to each other point by point. please, for the
sake of net.atmosphere.mature, please, please, get off your soapboxes.
try discussing things in a cool and logical fashion.

anti-amway posters, you are instigating the matter with incendiary 
remarks. looks like you are fishing for toast, judging from the 
numerous crosspostings. one must ask - why are you posting? is someone 
pushing amway on you? or did you try it and not succeed? why don't you 
flame all the other mlm's or telemarketers or insurance salesfolk? why
the specific grudge?

pro-amway posters, you are just feeding the fire with any response. 
especially a heated one. responding to points of legality is useless. 
if the organization was illegal, the FCC would have shut it down years 
ago. points on ethics? also useless to respond - i think most of us 
realize that individuals will run their operations according to their 
own ethics - in any business. you aren't winning support by heated 
remarks.

i think the emotional content of the newsgroups can be turned down a 
bit - perhaps it would be more understandable if posters told us why 
they are making the remarks. opinions could be backed up . . . and 
perhaps then a bit more understandable.

do the rest of you agree? or am i the only one tired of wading through 
all the toast being flung around - one could always go see the rocky 
horror picture show for that . . . :)

well, enough said. BTW, no one died and made me net.cop - just my own 
$0.02 worth.

-ming
.sig under destruction
From: vanzwol@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Ted Van Zwol)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Wanted: How to start a voice mail service
Date: 13 Aug 92 19:12:14 GMT
Organization: Boeing

In article <1992Aug10.085059.18336@athena.cs.uga.edu> fore@athena.cs.uga.edu (Howard Fore) writes:
>
>The subject line says it all: I would like to start a voice mail service
>but am unsure of where to begin info gathering. Does anyone have any 
>info/experience/words to the wise? Does anyone know of a
>book/person/magazine/franchise that i could draw on as a resource?
>
>Much thanks,
>Howard Fore    fore@athena.cs.uga.edu

More details are needed on your quest.  Are you looking to simply buy an
off-the-shelf voice mail package, invest in the hardware to run it, buy
a truck-load of phone lines and let 'er rip?  Are you looking to customize
in some special manner?  Several voice-mail systems have semi-decent
interpreted programming languages that let you roll your own.  The amount
of customization that you will be able to do will depend on your technical
background to some extent.  

I contract out as a programmer customizing/designing voice-mail applications, 
and a whole-host of other IVR applications that I cannot go into.  There are
a lot of services out there, maybe not in your neighborhood, in which case
the earlier you get in the better.  Pick a good customizable package.  Maybe
better, look around for systems which people have already written a bunch
of extension for it.  The more features the better.

Some folks want to have their own phone number (just like an answering machine).
Others don't mind punching in an extension to leave mail.  In many environments
it's nice to be able to build distribution lists to send mail to many people.
It's nice to have a system notify the owner of a mailbox via pager, cellular
or whatever that a call has just been received.  There are also options for
an individual to just have one phone number, and wherever they go the system
calls them when they have a call in process and connects them.

There are many services, and many products.  I just hit a little of both
not having any specific data regarding your search.  Good luck.

					-tcvz


-- 
Ted C Van Zwol                           |    Genius does what it must,
uucp:      {...!}uunet!bcstec!vanzwol    |    Talent does what it can.
internet:  vanzwol@bcstec.boeing.com     |                  -Emerson
From: witt@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: How to protect designs?
Date: 13 Aug 92 11:59:05 EST

Hello,

   I have a question about protecting ideas and designs.

I have designed several pieces of solid wood furniture that I would someday
like to build and sell. My questions are how do I go about protecting my
designs?
Are furniture designs patentable? 
Would having the drawings of them copyrighted or notorized be of any help?
How do large furniture company protect their designs from being copied?


Thank you for any serious advice you can give.


                                                  Tom

Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: burgoyne@highlite.uucp (J. Robert Burgoyne)
Subject: Re: Trademark vs. Company Name
Organization: Gotham Communications Research
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 13:35:25 GMT


Remember that we're not attorneys here...

a_willisgt@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:
:   Hypothetical situation:  Mr. John Doe owns and operates a company called
: Amalgamated Widget, Inc.  The company produces software and does contract
: work. He's been running this company for 18 months, and has marketed his
: products and services under that name.  He has not, however, registered the
: name as a trademark.
: 
:  Ms. Jane Doe creates a software product called 'An Amalgamated Widget'. 
:She hasn't yet marketed this product.  If she does, will she be stepping on Mr.
:Doe's legal rights?  
: 
Yes, if Mr. Doe is claiming trademark status on his company name.
: 
:   The way I understand trademark laws, whoever continuously uses a particular
: design/logo/etc essentially owns the design/logo/etc, whether it is registered
: or not.

Yes, and the person continuously using the design/logo/etc. can effectively
block the registration of others who come along and try to register the
design by filing a protest after a design has been published in the OG
(official gazette). The law is based on first use in commerce.
 
:  Companies like Apple, Adobe, and others have managed to trademark all or part
: of thier company names.  For instance, the name 'Apple Computer, Inc.' is not
: trademarked; but they own the trademark 'Apple'.  Adobe's the same way.

It was much faster to get a trademark registered 5-10 years ago. The PTO is now
so swamped that it can take 18 months from the time you first file an
application till the time you receive your notice of allowance.

Those companies got their names registered long ago.

: Is that a default trademark?  Since the company is called 'Apple', do they
: get the trademark 'Apple' by defauly (asuming that nobody else had registered
: the same trademark beforehand), or did they have to register the 'Apple'
: trademark seperately?

Nobody gets anything by default. You can register each element separately or
you can combine a name and a logo together. 

For more information, you could contact the trademark attorney I've worked
with. Send email for his name/address.

Robert 
From: curtisa@hpscit.sc.hp.com (Curtis Allred)
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:32:05 GMT
Subject: Re: How to protect designs?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs

> Are furniture designs patentable? 

There is a class of patents called design patents which
may work for you.

Curt Allred   (curtisa@.sc.hp.com) 
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: lynch@ils.nwu.edu (Richard Lynch)
Subject: Re: Finding Used Car Buyers
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 15:00:26 GMT

In article <DJOHNSON.92Aug14163210@mycroft.ti.com> johnson@.ti.com (Doug Johnson) writes:
>
>
>How do you find people who are buying used cars?
>
>We have a business that will inspect a car for a buyer.  For $80.00,
>we'll come out to driveway, dealer's lot, wherever, in a well
>equipped van with a certified professional mechanic, and inspect the
>car, search for recalls, estimate any repairs, and estimate value.
>
>So far, so good.  Our customers seem to be very happy with our service
>and we get a fair number of referrals.  We are having trouble
>expanding because we're having trouble finding cost effective ways of
>finding used car buyers.  Sellers are easy, they take out ads in the
>paper.  But buyers?
>
>Our most successful ad to date is one that runs in one of those local
>magzines full of classified ads.  A quarter page at the start of used
>car section.  We have had steady and increasing calls and sales.
>
>Things we have tried:
>Ads in the AAA magazine -- lots of reader response cards, no sales.
>
>Ads scattered among used car ads in the daily paper -- little response
>    and expensive. 
>
>We were featured by the consumer affairs reporter of a local TV
>    station on the evening news --- a few calls right after the show,
>    then nothing.  
>
>
>Any suggestions?  Thanks -- Doug

Perhaps you could put together a document that a seller could present...
Some sort of certificate of inspection.
Then you could contact sellers directly and offer this service, so that the
car is pre-inspected for the buyer.
'Course the seller is usually looking for a buck, so you may want to consider
a special deal where, for a little more, they pay you only after they sell the
car.

You could also try asking used car lots if they would let you put flyers on
their desk.  An honest used car salesman (supposing one existed) should have no
problem with an independent evaluation of his merchandise.

Finally, I suppose that ads at auto-parts stores might have some success.


-- 
"TANSTAAFL"     lynch@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: rscott@spock.NMSU.Edu (Joseph Good)
Subject: Wanted: Gvnt Grant Info
Organization: New Mexico State University
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 01:59:08 GMT


Help!

I'm trying to start up a music production business, and am having 
trouble financing (no credit, no co-signer, sigh), and would like
to know where I can get into on government grants and loans for
small business.

Anybody out there ever used them before?  I've seen them advertised
all over, but never tried them out yet.

Also, if anybody out there knows how to raise about $15k in order to 
start a business, could you give me some pointers?

Thanks!

--

Joseph Good
+-------------------+ - More than just a band....
| Green Dot Brigade | - It's a whole damn army of dots...
+-------------------+ - And we've declared war on the 7-Up dots...

rscott@nmsu.edu (NeXT mail welcome!!) (main account)

atlantis@acca.nmsu.edu  (Just plain ol' Unix) (seldom used)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: dale@ingr.com (Dale Berisford)
Subject: Looking for Information on Malibu Race Track
Reply-To: dale@ingr.com
Organization: System Management Applications - Intergraph Corp. 
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 12:38:43 GMT

I am trying to find the addresss/telephone number of Malibu Grand Prix
Race Tracks.  If anyone knows where there offices are please email
the information.

Thanks
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Dale "I Tilt 'Em" Berisford  Intergraph Corporation       O     |~|  T  |
|  205-730-4028                 MS CR1104                   /\_    |_|  I  |
|  dale@ingr.com                Huntsville, AL 35894-0001  /\ ;===== |  L  |
----------------------------------------------------------/ / |~~~~~~l  T  |