Microsoft Windows trademarks?
I'm a tad light on what Microsoft actually has trademarked with regard to Windows. It is my understanding that a generic or dictionary word cannot be trademarked. Since Window(s) is a generic term referring to a GUI visual element used to contain other GUI elements in a separate environment. How can they possibly trademark it? I have heard that it is in fact "Microsoft Windows" that is trademarked, but that makes no sense either, seeing as "Microsoft" alone will already be a trademark, it would be superfluous to trademark "Microsoft Windows". On all windows logos I see the TM above the word Windows, indicating that it is that word alone that is trademarked. So I wonder just how they managed to get it trademarked in the first place, as it should have been rejected, and has anyone ever challenged it?
Joel, I disagree that Window or Windows is not a generic operating system term. The concept of a Window in a GUI environment was created well before Microsoft was even writing the first version of Windows. Any form of GUI is mostly a collection of windows, so any operating system should have the right to call itself Windows.
For an analogy, try this.
A garden (operating system) contains mainly grass (windows), so a garden center selling gardens (company selling operating systems) calls its specific product (which is a full garden) "Grass" ("Windows"). They should not be able to trademark the term Grass (Windows).
I know garden centers don't actually sell gardens per se, it's just an example.
Dakota, it was not Microsoft who came up with the concept of a Window in a GUI environment at all. That is totally wrong.