“Search Usability” Owned by Shari Thurow?

March 30, 2006

I stumbled across Shari Thurow’s site today and noticed that she was using a ™ on the phrase “search usability.” That is such a standard industry phrase, that I thought it must be some kind of mistake, so I searched for it at the USPTO.

Sure enough, there was a trademark filed by Shari last May for the phrase “search usability.” Apparently, Shari feels she invented that phrase and should have legal rights to it. I wonder what Jakob Nielson thinks about that? As far as I can tell, he was the first to publish content on the web talking about search usability.

Fortunately, it looks like the USPTO is going to deny the registration. I’m not sure why Shari thought it would be worth the time and money to pursue it. She tried a few years ago to register a trademark for the term TrafficNode, and was unsuccessful. If you can’t get approval for a term that actually is fairly original, how could you come to the conclusion that you stood a chance with something like search usability?

Filed Under: Work

Comments

8 Responses to ““Search Usability” Owned by Shari Thurow?”

  1. Jeff on March 30th, 2006 7:29 pm

    You think that is stupid, their is a company that thinks it has exclusive right to the word “entrepreneur” The worst part is they were able to trick the trademark office into giving them the mark and use brutal tactics against anyone who attemps to challange them. Update, not on my site yet MARKVA got dragged out of the USPTO and into federal court and was forced to give up because of lack of funds.

  2. Jason Golod on March 31st, 2006 1:31 pm

    Some people like to build fences around things

  3. Ken Savage on March 31st, 2006 10:29 pm

    Shari got burned!

  4. dotcommie on April 1st, 2006 12:53 am

    jakob would be laughin at that one for sure

    silly ppl and their trademarks

  5. Iain Davidson on April 3rd, 2006 8:30 am

    Honestly… what is wrong with people doing stuff like that! As you quite rightly put, the un-successful application for TrafficNode should have taught her a lesson.

    I’m all for the “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” attitude but that’s taking it into a new dimension!

  6. AG on April 3rd, 2006 12:38 pm

    Can someone try trademarking Shari Thurow???

  7. AD on April 11th, 2006 2:59 pm

    This makes me wonder if Jill Whalen ever tried trademarking the term “Web Whiz.”

  8. Shari Thurow on April 21st, 2006 11:30 am

    Gentlemen (and ladies)-

    If you have a question, just ask me. All of your assumptions about my trademarks and copyrights are completely inaccurate.

    Prof. Nielsen and I have considerably different definitions as to what constitutes search usability.

    It is really not that hard to send me an email or call me if you have a question.

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