Re: [CPEO-BIF] [Fwd: FW: ALERT!!! "Smart Growth" to beTrademarked!]

[HurstG@edaw.com]

I had similar experience with the term Xeriscape.  I was on the other end;
a Board member of the National Xeriscape committee.  From our perspective,
we saw a great deal of mis-use of the term, Xeriscape, and we felt an
obligation to try to maintain a consistency and quality to the ideals
behind the term.  We attempted to monitor the use of the term and ask that
programs, consultants, institutions, etc. be accountable for quality
projects, advertising, etc.  As examples of abuse, many times we saw
contractors advertising xeriscaping with no real idea what it meant.  They
jumped on the popular term and tried to exploit it to their potential
clients.  The National Xeriscape Board (who had and has control of the
term) was very accommodating in letting credible organizations use the term.

In the end, it became clear that we could not control the proper use of
the term and essentially gave up trying.  It was really impossible to
enforce the proper use of the term.  In my opinion, the effect of lack of
oversight and enforcement has been to dilute the meaning to the point where
Xeriscape means something different to everybody who uses it even though it
has a very clearly defined meaning.

So, I see the point of what they are trying to do with a trademark on the
term.  On the other hand, once a term like Smart Growth becomes popular,
there is little that an organization can do to really enforce the proper
use of the term.  The only ones really inconvenienced by conforming to the
trademark on the legitimate groups that are doing the right thing anyway.

>>> Peter Meyer <pbmeyer@louisville.edu> 06/09/00 11:34AM >>>
PLEASE ACT ON THIS! You can imagine then consequences for all our
writing and discussions if this sort of a summary phrase can't be used
except with permission.....

Peter B. Meyer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To read CPEO's archived Brownfields messages visit
http://www.cpeo.org/lists/brownfields

If this email has been forwarded to you and you'd
like to subscribe, please send a message to
cpeo-brownfields-subscribe@igc.topica.com 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics