IPod: Apple Wants You To Kneel Before "Pod"!

iPod

Apple Wants You To Kneel Before "Pod"!

It's been brewing for a few days now, but it looks as though Apple is really going through with its decision to crack down on anyone using the term "podcast." They've sent a cease-and-desist letter to Podcast Ready, a software company that recently launched an iPod-compatible program called MyPodder. At stake here is whether Apple owns the trademark to "podcast," a debate that could go to court. And what a fun, sexy case that will be.

It seems like a lose-lose situation for Apple: If they're victorious in getting full rights to the already widespread name, they'll spend the next ten years reminding copy-desk editors that Podcast is a proper noun, like Xerox or Dumpster; if they lose, they'll look like dicks. Or at least, bigger dicks than usual.
So before this thing gets out of hands, maybe we use this as an opportunity to come up with our own ideas for what to call the damn things. Any ideas?

Apple Hits Podcast Ready With Nastygram [Wired]
Apple to go to war over 'pod' [Daily Mail]

11:29 AM on Wed Sep 27 2006
By Brian Raftery
39 views
14 comments

Comments

by Ned Raggett at 10:49 AM on 09/27/06
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Rodcast
by spinachdip at 10:54 AM on 09/27/06
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You mean Adam Curry didn't trademark that shit? What an eejut.
by AndrewTaylor at 10:54 AM on 09/27/06
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Santorums. Wait, never mind. I second rodcast.
by PurduePaul at 10:57 AM on 09/27/06
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Steve Jobs' ego is so big I hear he has to move it in a dump truck....
by Chris Molanphy at 11:02 AM on 09/27/06
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I'm with spinachdip - Curry deserves to be pelted with cans of ozone-depleting hairspray for failing to trademark "podcast" when he had the chance. Back in '03 or so, with Apple sleeping on the whole concept (before they co-opted it), he probably could've gotten away with it, too.
by Bob Loblaw at 11:05 AM on 09/27/06
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Nerdnectar?
by ponyboy at 11:45 AM on 09/27/06
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BlatherBytes

or

RadioButShittier

or

Kyle
by BenP at 12:19 PM on 09/27/06
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I went to Burger King this week and my french fries came in a container called "FryPod." I was extremely disappointed that it did not:

1) Hold 10,000 Fries
2) Play sweet, sweet music.
3) Play downloaded pr0n.

Thank you Steve Jobs for protecting the integrity of the word "Pod" so that consumers like me don't get confused in the marketplace.
by Michael Bertin at 12:45 PM on 09/27/06
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You can lose proprietary trademark if you don't try to enforce it. It becomes genericized . So if Apple wants to hold on to something that someone else actually invented the term for (and really, what's so fucking revolutionary about putting something besides music into an mp3 format?) they have to go after folks. Consult a lawyer for a better explanation of the nuances.

Basically Apple has no choice but to be pricks here. Probably just makes it easier with Jobs at the helm.
by chrisb at 02:03 PM on 09/27/06
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I thought this has already been decided: netcast

http://www.twit.tv/2006/09/22/a_cast_by_any_other_name
by mwsmedia at 02:10 PM on 09/27/06
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First of all, Apple's going to look like dicks either way, win or lose.

Second: the podcasting community has hashed this back and forth and up and down. The word is *podcast.* I don't think we should back down just because a few C&D letters have been sent.

Preciousroy: "podcast" isn't Apple's proprietary trademark... not yet, as I understand. It's in the dictionary, it's in the vernacular. The word existed for months before Apple woke up and added a crappy aggregator to iTunes. *It's too late.*

Thanks,

Matt
by AcidReign at 03:59 PM on 09/27/06
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.....How about "deadcast?" There's no quicker way to kill your blog than to switch from easily-skimmable print to a long, rambling, monotonous audio file! Who's got time to listen to all that crap? Besides, my blog-reading time is also my music-listening time. I get ill if I have to pause my tunes!
by alternatekev at 04:58 PM on 09/27/06
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Dongcast.
by PostmanE at 07:06 PM on 09/27/06
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Broadcast.

Um...