[3DEM] Protein Tomography (TM)

[Terje Dokland]

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My understanding of trademark legislation (which is not much, I admit) 
is that you cannot trademark "generic" terms, like regular words, 
common descriptive phrases etc. It would seem to me that the term 
"protein tomography" wouldn't pass the test? (And certainly not 
"electron tomography" which is a common descriptive scientific term) At 
least here in the US. Sounds pretty iffy to me.
Terje


On Dec 10, 2005, at 11:28 AM, Joachim Frank wrote:

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> Sidec Technologies, a company that Ulf Skoglund has helped start in 
> Sweden, has trademarked the term "Protein Tomography", according to an 
> article in "Genetic and Engineering News" (Vol. 25, no 19, Nov 1, 
> 2005).  This is a disturbing piece of news.  Will we one day not be 
> able to use "electron tomography", "single-particle reconstruction", 
> "angular refinenment" freely because of unreasonable claims of a 
> startup company?
>
> --Joachim Frank.
> Joachim Frank, Ph.D.
> Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
> Wadsworth Center,
> Empire State Plaza,
> Albany, New York 12201-0509
> phone: 518 474-7002
> fax:  518 486-2191
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---
Terje Dokland
Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
845 19th St South, BBRB 311
Birmingham AL 35294
Tel: (205) 996 4502
Fax:	(205) 996 2667
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