The word netbook is a generic term that many consumers and computer makers have been using since 2007 to describe the hoards of small, cheap notebooks on the market. Intel uses the term in its advertising as do many other manufacturers like Dell. I mentioned a few weeks back that Psion had been successful in proving to Google that it owned the trademark on the term netbook.

Dell is standing up for its right to use the term netbook along with everyone else with a filing that claims that Psion’s trademark is no good. According to Dell, the trademark is no good for three reasons. Dell says that Psion has abandoned the trademark and does not intend to resume bona fide trade using the mark.

Dell also says that Psion was fraudulent in its application to receive the trademark because Psion used false pretenses to get the trademark with knowingly false statements and a false specimen of the product. The final reason is that Dell says the term is now generically used in business and by consumers to describe a class of small and low cost notebooks. I have to agree with Dell, It seems Psion simply waiting until the word netbook was popular and is now trying to make some money off an old trademark.

Laptop Mag