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Re: [seedsavers] Name choice for me



Juergen Botz wrote:

> Finally, it might be a good idea to register a TM on "seedkeepers" in
> order to prevent SSE from doing so just to give us trouble.  Last I
> checked (some years ago) it costs about $5k to do that in the US, but
> trademarks are international and you can do it in some other country
> where it's cheaper (I seem to remember there is at least one country
> where you can do it for $1k).  Or we can not do that, and if SSE
> tries to register "seedkeeprs" we'll know for certain that they really
> are hostile a***oles and weren't just doing their duty under trademark
> law by sending a cease-and-desist.

I don't think they could trademark the word seedkeepers or seed keepers unless it
were part of a longer name then only that name and not its components.
Like Nebraska Seed Keepers could be trademarked by way of becoming the name of a corporation,
honored nationally, but not Nebraska or Seed or Keepers or Seed Keepers or Seedkeepers.
I don't think they would even try and the Secretary of State off in their State would deny them that.
I have already inquired about that here in NC. I could incorporate Chapel Hill Farmers Market but not its component 
words. If it was Chapel Hill Seed Keeprs, same thing.

Also if a word, group of words, terms, names are in common use for a given period of time then noone can trademark that 
or incorporate using it. I should have named it seedkeepers to begin with but I went with the name of the old list which 
was seedsavers.

And if the SSE or anyone else goes out of their way to cause us prblems then they will ingratiate themselves not only 
with thei customer base by with the general public and anyone supporting ours and our colleage's causes.


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