• On TV.com: Sexy summer bodies photo gallery
August 2, 2008 7:19 PM PDT

Dell tries to trademark "cloud computing"

by Dave Rosenberg

Sam Johnston, a member of the Cloud Computing group (Google Groups login required) posted that Dell had used "Cloud Computing" with TM in a press release and decided to do a little digging.

Oddly the application was not opposed and from what it appears on the Industry Standard it may be too late.

If Dell wins the application and enforces the trademark it could dramatically alter the cloudscape.

Notice in the filing below that there is no first-use date associated with the claim whereas there are a number of articles etc. prior to the filing date that use the "cloud computing" term.

From the trademark filing:
International Class: 040
Class Status: Active
Custom manufacture of computer hardware for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others

Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)

International Class: 042
Class Status: Active
Design of computer hardware for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others; customization of computer hardware for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others; design and development of networks for use in data centers and mega-scale computing environments for others; Consulting services for data centers and mega-scale computing environments in the fields of design, selection, implementation, customization and use of computer hardware and software systems for others; Consulting services for data centers and mega-scale computing environments in the fields of design, selection, implementation, customization and use of computer hardware and software systems for others

Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)

Dave Rosenberg dishes up "Software, Interrupted" with nearly 15 years of technology and marketing experience that spans from Bell Labs to multiple start-up IPOs to open-source enterprise software companies. He is co-founder of MuleSource and currently serves as the general manager of Hardy Way. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can contact Dave via e-mail at softwareinterrupted@gmail.com.
Recent posts from Software, Interrupted
When gaming communities go wrong
Twitter as music marketing tool
Ramen robots invade Japanese restaurant
Firefox 3.5 and the potential of Web typography
Blizzard chooses cloud over LAN for new game
Japan continues to build robot army
Ricoh jumps from copiers to the cloud
China bans online 'gold farming'
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (5 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by The_Decider August 3, 2008 1:09 AM PDT
I hope they get it, because "cloud computing" is not only an annoying marketing buzzword it isn't going to last long.

It is nothing more than a mainframe model with even more performance, reliability and security issues. 100% hype 0% substance
Reply to this comment
by samjohnston August 3, 2008 1:52 AM PDT
You don't suppose that Dell having applied for this trademark in the first place is a sign of things to come? Go read the Wikipedia definition and see if you can come up with a better moniker for it.
by The_Decider August 4, 2008 12:47 PM PDT
M A I N F R A M E

Calling it cloud computing is just a scam to get people to buy into the new term for mainframe.
by samjohnston August 6, 2008 1:30 AM PDT
There is indeed some truth in that, however also some key differences. Both use virtualisation extensively. Both centralise processing and use some form of 'dumb terminal'. However mainframes predate the Internet (and can operate independently of it) and from an architecture point of view they are a vertical (and thus limited) solution to the scalability problem - cloud computing is almost always horizontally scaled across many machines.

If nothing else the cloud computing moniker should put an end to the proliferation of 'aaS'y acronyms.

Sam
by techie2479 August 5, 2008 7:36 PM PDT
What's next? "Web Surfing"? Perhaps "Public Domain"? What a crock.
Reply to this comment
(5 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

Look before leaping to short URLs

Fueled by Twitter's rise, services that scrunch Web addresses are taking off. They bring a host of problems, but some are working to fix them.

In Utah desert, it's bombs away

road trip At the massive Utah Test & Training Range, the Air Force runs 15,000 sorties a year to ensure that pilots and weapons are on the mark.
• Photos: Training and testing

About Software, Interrupted

In "Software, Interrupted," Dave Rosenberg discusses disruption in the software market, as well as the products and services that keep business technology norms in perpetual flux.

With nearly 15 years of technology and marketing experience spanning from Bell Labs to multiple start-up IPOs, Dave co-founded open-source software company MuleSource and now serves as general manager of Hardy Way. He also happens to be a U.S. patent holder and a workaholic. Technology is his best friend and mortal enemy.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Software, Interrupted topics

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right