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Its Okay To Be Gay-mer! – Battle Over The Word “Gaymer” WON!by Will Kohler |
Reddit "gaymers"
– members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community
who have an active interest in videogames have kicked the ass of a
blogger who has surrendered his bogus trademark claim on the word 'gaymer,' freeing online forums, conventions, and indivuals to use the descriptive term without fear of legal threats and interference.
Chris Vizzini, who started a website called gaymer.org
in 2006, had registered a trademark on 'gaymer' even though it had been
in widespread use long before Vizzini started his website and had until
recently threatened lawsuits against people who would use the term.
With the help of EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) and the law firm
Perkins Coie the Reddit gamers asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) to cancel the trademark in January of this year. Vizzini
ultimately decided to surrender the mark, which was officially revoked
this week.
"Trademark
is supposed to protect consumers from confusion, not to shut down
discussion spaces and the names they have rallied around," said Zack
Karlsson, the r/gaymer community's representative in the
trademark challenge. "We were shocked that anyone would try to assert
ownership rights in 'gaymer' and felt the term belonged to the public,
not Mr. Vizzini."
So GAYMERS, (Hear that Chad?) grab your joysticks and game on loud, and proud!
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