The Anarcho Geek Info Center

Embroidery Magic 2 software program was created with multiple function lettering, editing and digitizing features for embroidery designs and was designed for those who have home embroidery machines and software. We have also have had customers purchase this embroidery software who have well established commercial embroidery businesses but have found that it creates better lettering than any other program they have purchased, regardless of price! However, in regard to the EM 2 price, it should be understood that you will not get the full features of a high end digitizing program with a lot of “bells and whistles”. Let’s focus on what is included in this great, very affordable program!

Features of Embroidery Magic 2

This embroidery software generates text stitch files from keyboard font styles. This allows the user to resize and use up to three different styles of underlay and also determine other settings for various uses of the embroidery lettering created.

It also allows the user to manually digitize machine embroidery designs from the tools provided.

The Real View feature will allow you to see an embroidery design in a more realistic way than the digitizing view allows. [Please remember that this is not an exact replication of the actual stitched design.]

EM 2 has 114 different fabric backgrounds with the capability of adding fabric choices by scanning a fabric and saving as a bmp file format in the “Fabric” folder of EM 2.

There is a Tutorial available that shows new users, in a step by step fashion, how to use this great software bargain.

Sandy Carter is the author of embroidery articles at
embroidery designs by Thread Artist.
She has an article about embroidery software for digitizing and lettering fonts at embroidery software. There is free embroidery digitizing Tutorial at this web address -
embroidery by Thread Artists.

You can email Sandy at this address - Sandy@ThreadArtist.com

Take note that you need to decide whether you want a radio control nitro or gas car or perhaps one that has an electric engine. You could purchase either one which is ready to run (rtr) or a kit. Now, knowing how much you would want to spend start going shopping for a vehicle that fits your specifications. Like me passion is what drew me to this exciting hobby and there’s a lot you are going to learn before you can “get behind the wheel”.

It is always good start at a nearby hobby store - look for one that specializes in radio control vehicles. Speak to people you’ll find working in the store and chances are that these people are true blue rc hobbyists as well. There is much you can learn from, so pick their brains well. You’ll find these machines
to be sleek and powerful, tearing up the terrain in a jiffy and it’s certainly a lot of fun watching them go.

The types of radio control vehicles that you need to get aquainted with are nitro and electric cars, monster trucks, stadium trucks, minis and micros. If you want to get your feet wet and don’t wish to spend a whole lot of money, go and get a used vehicle - this is the cheapest way of building your skills. To find used radio control vehicles for sale, ask your friends, check the local newspapers, read RC magazines or browse through listings at auction sites like eBay.

If you decide that you want a new vehicle, you can choose a kit, an ARR (”almost ready to run”) model, or an RTR (”ready to run”) model. What’s the difference? A kit will take you time and a certain amount of expertise to assemble. The advantage of a kit, of course is that once you’re finished, you’ll know exactly how
your vehicle is built and therefore how to repair any damage.

ARR and RTR models come already assembled. The difference is usually that the ARR model doesn’t have a radio system installed, while an RTR model does. So don’t be fooled by the difference in price. When you buy an ARR car, you’re going to have to add the cost of the radio system to your final cost.

The expense of operating your radio control car can be as little as an occasional replacement battery pack. But as with any hobby, the more you play the more you pay. If you become a dedicated radio control vehicle fan, be prepared for repairs, upgrades, special tools, magazine subscriptions, books, racing entry fees,
association dues, travel expenses to the big meets and races - the list can be endless. The best advice is to start small, and let your radio control hobby grow little by little to whatever level you find most satisfying.

So all in all, what’s the best advice for getting started in radio control? Start small, get to know experienced radio control drivers, and learn as you go. Make a list before you buy anything, and make sure have all the accessories and parts you’re
going to need to use your vehicle. Most of all, have fun - RC is a wonderful way to meet people, to challenge yourself, and to fulfill your driving fantasies.

Philip Lim is an avid lover of radio control vehicles who cannot resist but share his passion by writing content providing tips, reviews and product releases and more when you sign up for his newsletter at http://www.eHobbyCentral.com

The best place to start collecting would be with pennies, we will focus on the Lincoln Cent for the years 1909 through 1958, which are the Wheat Cents. There are still a number of “wheat cents” showing up in circulation, so it is possible to start a coin collection without spending a great deal of money.

While you are searching your pocket change for “wheat cents”, be sure to check for silver coinage and of course check those quarters. Then new 50 State Commemorative Quarters are a very good place to start since you can find five new states each year plus the different mint marks.

Getting back to pennies, which is where we want to start our new collection. The first Lincoln Cent was minted in 1909 and was made of copper. The mint continued to make pennies from copper until 1943, when for this year only, they were made of steel and zinc plated to prevent them from rusting. These coins appear to be silver or gray in color because of the plating. The pennies were made of steel because of a copper shortage brought on by the war, but they resumed using copper in 1944. Between 1909 and 1958 the penny featured Lincoln on the obverse (front of the coin) and the words “ONE CENT” over “United States of America” framed by bundles of wheat on each side of the words, there by getting the descriptive name of “Wheat Cents”. This is how the penny is called for the years 1909-1958. Other than a minor change in the composition of the metal which was 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc until 1943 when they were zinc plated steel, and then 1944 until 1958 when they were 95% copper, 5% zinc and no tin.

The Penny remained the same for 50 years. It was designed by Victor David Brenner, whose initials appeared on the reverse, of some, of the coins minted that first year. There are two varieties of the 1909, some have the VDB on the reverse, (back of coin) at the bottom of the coin at the 6 o’clock position, and others do not. The pennies were minted at Philadelphia, Pa. and San Francisco, Ca. The pennies from San Francisco have a small “s” under the date while the Philadelphia coins have no mintmark. The coins to watch for are the ones with mintmarks; this applies to all coins not just pennies. The value of coins is greatly based on rarity and with the Philadelphia mint being the largest of the mints; it was natural for them to produce the greatest number of coins. There is also a mint in Denver, Co. and a mint, which had been closed by this time in Carson City. The Denver mint put a small “d” under the date and on older coinage of other types you will find the letters “CC” for Carson City.

Mint Marks are Important, learn to watch for them.

Back to pennies, in 1909 when the first Lincoln (wheat cent) penny was made, they minted 72,702,618 in Philadelphia without the designers, Victor David Brenner, initials. They produced 27,995,000 with the VDB on the reverse of the penny. This same year, 1909, San Francisco minted 1,825,000 without the designer’s initials and 484,000 with the initials VDB on the reverse at the bottom of the coin. So now for the economics lesson of supply and demand and how it affects price. If you had a 1909-penny in “good” condition it would be worth about 75 cents, in “mint” condition it would be valued at about $14.00. If you had a 1909 with VDB on the reverse in “good” condition, it would be worth about $1.80, in “mint” condition ( I can’t explain this ) the value is about $9.00 ( the only apparent reason for the penny with the lower mintage being worth less in mint condition then the plain 1909 in mint condition, would be that in numismatic records kept by the grading services, there are probably more 1909 VDB’s on record than plain 1909’s) If you had a 1909s in “good” condition it is worth $37.00, in “mint” condition about $120.00. Now if you were lucky enough to find a 1909s with the initials VDB on the reverse in “good” condition it is worth $350.00 and in “mint” condition it is worth $680.00 or more. Not bad for a penny.

In all coin types and series there exists what are known as “key dates”, for now lets just say they are important because of a number of factors (another big subject), but that they are important in collecting coins of all types, not just pennies. The “key dates” for the Lincoln penny 1909-1958 are:

1909s
1909s VDB
1914d
1922
1931s

The semi-key dates, also valuable, but not as significant as the “key dates” are: 1910s, 1911d, 1911s, 1912s, 1913d, 1913s, 1914s, 1915, 1921s, 1922d, 1923s, 1924d, 1926s, 1931d, and 1933d.

This takes you through the “wheat cents” 1909-1958, along with keys and semi-keys each series of coin has Error varieties, Die varieties, and double die varieties which are also worth more than the common date coins. These again are subjects in themselves but a brief description is needed to make you aware of what to look for in collecting coins.

Error varieties are any condition, which may have existed resulting in a coin being struck and getting into circulation in a condition of appearance to be other than what was intended by the U.S. Mint. Simply said if it looks different than all the other s as a result of a mint mistake and not tampering or defacing by an individual, than it is an error, and they tend to be worth more.

Double Die varieties are actually errors because the coin after being stamped does not exit the die but remains in the die and is struck again causing parts of the design to be duplicated. Sometimes the duplicate is very noticeable other double die varieties require a powerful magnifying glass or microscope to see them.

Die varieties are the result of many dies being used to mint any particular series of coin. They could never produce this many pennies with only one die. Each die has its own characteristics, small differences between dies, which are noticeable enough that you can distinguish pennies or other coins being minted by a particular die.

As you may become educated at this point into the many details of coin collecting, let me say this now. Coin Collecting should be no more involved, difficult, or time consuming than you want it to be. The main objective of coin collecting is enjoyment, if you are interested in investing, find a Stock Broker. Lastly, I borrow this comment from another person whose name I don’t remember, but who deserves the credit none the less. “As a coin collector, you are not a coin owner, but a coin keeper. Although you have the actual coins in your possession and legally they are yours to hold, buy, sell or trade, while they are in your possession you should do everything possible to maintain the condition and appearance of the coins.”(To who ever said this, I apologize for not being able to quote you verbatim or give you your due credit) “As keepers of coins, we enjoy our collection, than pass them to the next generation of keepers.” This was significant to me personally, as it links, you, others, and me in a great chain from past through present and into the future as we are the keeper of coins, coin collectors and Numismatists.

Enough now of history, economics and philosophy, let’s collect coins.

To start, get yourself a magnifying glass, the bigger the better. Search your coins in a well-lighted area to be better able to spot errors, mintmarks, and to read dates on some of your more worn coins. Determine what coins you will collect and purchase a bookshelf folder for that denomination or series. Whitman, Dansco, Harris & Co. and a few others put out these folders. The Whitman folders are probably the most familiar; they are blue folders about 8 inches high, 6 inches wide and about inch thick. They retail for about $3.75 each and are available at most bookstores all coin stores and many web sites including my own.

Try to purchase a book called, “A Guide Book of United States Coins” by R.S. Yeoman. This is commonly called the red book and it is a red book which retails for about $11.00 in the hard cover edition at most book stores and coin shops. The Red Book is published every year, it gives you a good over view of the history of U.S. coins, basic grading information, average retail value for all U.S. coins, descriptions of the different coins past and present and a listing of the errors, with pictures, of some errors found in the minting process. Purchase one of the monthly publications on coin collecting. My two favorites are “Coins” and “COINage”. Krausse Publishing who also publishes more than half of all coin related books and periodicals publishes coins magazine. COINage is published by Miller Magazines, Inc. and is always packed with great stories and information as well as advertisers for coin related material. You do not need a subscription, but try to buy at least one copy of either magazine. It will give you some great insight into prices of coins, coins other than pennies that you may want to collect also some great pictures of coins and good articles to educate yourself in coin collecting. Both magazines sell for about $4.00 each, if that is within your budget, then you should buy a copy to get an idea of what is out there.
Coin World and Numismatic News are two weekly newspapers with many great articles, current news and classified sections for buyers, sellers and traders all relating to coins. They retail for about $1.95 and are also available at bookstores. The newspaper may not interest you until you get more involved in the hobby and want to stay more in tune with what is happening currently in the Numismatic world. Numismatic News is again published by Krausse publishing and Coin World is published by Ames Press.

A second book you should try to purchase is “Official A.N.A. Grading Standards for United States Coins”, put out by the American Numismatic Association. The book is an excellent guide to grading coins, a skill you will need to develop if you continue in coin collecting. It is a well-used and respected guide for grading coins. Visit the A.N.A. at http://www.money.org, and if you can, consider joining, they have a Junior and Adult Membership. The Junior is only $20.00 for the year and the adult is $36.00, but the benefits are worth the cost of membership. Another coin club is Coin Masters, which is free and also has a Junior Membership as well as Adult. The group is not as large as A.N.A. but it is a great group with some very helpful members. Visit their web site to join at http://www.coinmasters.org/

Some supplies should be purchased when you start collecting coins. You should have something to put your coins in for storage, until you are ready to place them in an album, or for you duplicate coins. You can purchase coin tubes, clear plastic tubes preferably with screw on tops, in the various coin denominations, penny tubes, nickel tubes, etc. Tubes cost about 20 to 50 cents each and usually come in packages of 4 or more, but can also be purchased in bulk for a cheaper price per tube.

IMPORTANT POINT: When storing coins, be careful of the material used in the storage device, many plastics react with the surface of coins causing them to discolor or develop black spots. The paper used is also important as many papers and cardboard contain sulfur, which will cause a silver coin to turn black. The very best and most expensive are air tight holders. These provide the best storage and the expense is of little concern for your more valuable coins. A common and popular method to store coins is in 2″X 2″ white cardboard folders which have Mylar/Polyester windows. These are very good and affordable holders for your more common coins and they retail for about $3.75 to $5.00 for a box of 100. They are available in bulk packs of 1000 at lower prices, but I prefer the boxes since they make an excellent way to store the folders once you have inserted and labeled your coins. You simply insert your coin into the round window; fold the other side over and staple shut. NOTE: Try to use stainless steel staples, as they will not rust like ordinary staples. There are a number of other methods and devices for storage, be sure they are made of material that is safe for your coins.

A quick note on copper coins: try to store your coins in an area that is dry. This is particularly important if you happen to have some mint state or proof coins. A nice choice red coin when exposed to moisture, even for a brief period could suddenly begin to change color and end up being brown, dull and less valuable.

Cleaning Coins: Read about it, learn it and leave it to the experts.
I recommend no cleaning except under the following condition. If a coin has been exposed to something that will further deteriorate the coin, then cleaning may be needed. Never use an abrasive substance to clean a coin, at most use a mild soap, such as Ivory soap, and water. Gently dab the solution onto the coin, do not rub, and then rinse very well in clean water and pat dry with a soft cloth. De-natured alcohol is also used to remove harmful oils from a coins surface, remember to hold the coin by the rim or edges and not on the face of the coin. The acid and oils present in your skin will leave finger prints on the clean shiny surface of a mint state or proof coin that can be seen from five feet away.

Finally, as long as this article may appear, it just scratches the surface of the many aspects of coin collecting. As your collection and interest grows, so will your knowledge. Take the time to listen, to read, ask questions and learn. This is a process that will continue the rest of your coin collecting days. Your education can save you money now and make money for you in the future, but most of all remember have fun. Enjoy the “Hobby of Kings” which has grown to become the “King of Hobbies”; you are a numismatist, a coin collector and a keeper of coins.

Basic essentials needed to start a coin collection.

1.Coins, pocket change is a good way and inexpensive way to start.

2.A good magnifying glass, or a cheaper one at least.

3.Coin albums for whatever denomination and series of coins you intend to collect.

4.Storage devices to protect your coins, tubes are nice but the coins must be removed from them to admire or search through your collection. The 2X2 cardboard holders or flips work best for this reason.

5.Most if not all books and periodicals can be found at your public library, take advantage of that to save money for purchasing coins.

6.Try to join a local coin club. You can probably find one through your Chamber of Commerce or telephone book. There are also some clubs listed on the Internet and clubs such as Coin Masters, which is only available on the web.

7.You will at some time need to purchase coins. It would be near impossible to complete a folder with coins from circulation. Wheat cents are available by the pound at very reasonable rates, but you should shop around.

8.Subscribe to the news group rec.collecting.coins

Visit us at Http://www.Vportweb.net or Http://www.vportweb.com - our other hobby.

By Paul “Tumble Weed”

No formal writing skills, terible with grammar, but like a “Tumble Weed”, I ramble on.
Enjoy writing, philosophy, web site building, coin collecting, home remodeling, Tea Cup Pommeranians, and much more.

Color coordination and contrast will highlight and accent your scrapbook. A well thought out color scheme can help define the theme of a page, attract attention to specific items, or detract away from mistakes. Poorly chosen color schemes, on the other hand, can cause your scrapbook page to look gaudy or mismatched.

Background colors can either be matched, coordinated, or contrasted with the colors in your photographs, mementos, or embellishments. Matching colors add to the continuity of the color scheme. Coordinated colors add depth to scrapbook pages. Contrasted colors focus the eye. In this way, color can be used to create the effect you desire.

A great way to see how colors look together is to collect and compare color wheels from your local paint or hardware store. Paint wheels are usually available free for the taking in nearly any paint department.

Most scrapbooks will contain photographs. Even the most disinterested reader of your scrapbook will glance at the photographs. Pictures really are worth a thousand words. Therefore, it is important to choose photographs that are of good quality and clearly illustrate your scrapbook theme.

Any photograph can be used in a scrapbook. Even instant photographs can be used in scrapbooking. Just be careful that the chemicals within the photograph do not spill out on the rest of your scrapbook. Digital pictures can easily be printed right onto lignin-free and acid -free paper.

Always keep in mind that scrapbooking is permanent. Therefore, it is probably preferable to use copies of your only picture of Great Grandma rather than risk ruining the photograph forever. Simply scan the picture on your computer scanner and print the image on lignin free and acid free paper.

Mia LaCron is the founder of 101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - http://www.101-scrapbooking-tidbits.info - devoted to helping individuals record, store, and preserve their most cherished memories via the art of scrapbooking.

Elsie’s Day

An Invitation to heaven
How do you like that?
I was tired and I tried to
Go to sleep,
And I had what I call
A dream-vision
(a packageI was waiting for)
There’s a lesson in this
I do believe, isn’t there
Like on earth when the lights
Go-off!
My mother died, July 1, 2003,
And now she had awoken
Rubbing her eyes
A bright light all about her
She was in heaven
Hold off on the guesses

’till the very end…
When I woke up in the morning
Part two of the dream took place
She was being sanctifiedby Christ!…

Note: The dream took place on 2/16/06
3:10 AM, part two, the morning of the
17th

Chicago Air

Below the city it looks dirty
Above it looks clean
That’s what I thought of Chicago

Does it just seem dirty?
Or is it? I breathed it in…
That’s what I thought of in Chicago

Downtown old Chicago
Lives some good and bad characters
But you don’t refuse to breath the air!…

#1219 2/19/06

The Edge in the Amazon

One night after dinner we heard the wings of birds fighting in the dark, a few lit gas lights along the wooden walkway, still couldn’t see a thing though, only the walkway. Past our hooch, flowed the steady beating of the wings.

The Amazon is never quiet, gloomy at night it can be, the sounds dominate, take the edge off a mans, possible defeat.

A huge brown toad stood in the outhouse, looking at me, like a rhino, just staring (what a time to rush me, I thought)) now its toads I said to myself, what next?))

#1221 12/16/06

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Have you ever asked yourself why a competitor’s business gets more attention than yours? The answer just may have to do with the elements that go into how memorable the business is. And that has to do with branding.

But exactly what is branding, anyway? Think of branding as predefining what a company is all about in the minds of its clients. Good branding differentiates your products and services in a positive way that really sticks in the minds of potential customers.

Let’s say you have been traveling around town without your morning coffee and are getting just a little cranky. Quick! What’s the first coffee shop chain that comes to mind? Chances are, you thought of Starbucks. Why?

*Attractive and easily read logo;

*Consistency of product, décor, signage, and interior; and

*A great product

Assuming your product is fabulous, it all comes down to image. Graphic design can play a huge part in that image. But what are some key things to consider?

A great logo is key.

You have already given a great deal of attention to your company name and believe that it speaks to who you are and what you do. Great! Now you need to wrap a graphic image around that name to carve out a prime piece of real estate in the mind of your target customer. That is exactly what a great logo can do.

Whether or not you eat fast food and regardless of your opinion as to what might constitute the best in fast food, my guess is that the name McDonalds conjures up an immediate image of the golden arches. Those golden arches really work as a logo!

The McDonalds logo is a good example of merging a symbol with a letter in the company name. It is also a good example of simplicity, another key element to great logo design. A good logo also:

* has a strong, balanced image with no little extras that clutter its look;

* is distinctive and bold in design, making it easy to see at a glance;

* has graphic imagery that looks appropriate for your business;

* works well with your company name;

* is done in an easy to read font;

* communicates your business clearly; and

* looks good in black and white, as well as in color.

Consistent visual identity is also key.

If you are going to capture that prime piece of real estate in the customer’s mind, you must provide not only a compelling image, but a consistent one. The Statue of Liberty just may be one of the most compelling images in the world. But what if you owned the rights to that image, put it on your business card, then put the image of an American Bald Eagle on your stationery and the Liberty Bell on your web site. The American Bald Eagle and the Liberty Bell are also compelling images, but as a group, each dilutes the impact of the other.

Each of the three images has its own distinct personality. You may be tempted to give your stationery, website, business card, brochures, and other marketing materials different visual personalities, but to do risks the equivalent of having the Statue of Liberty competing with American Bald Eagle and Liberty Bell.

All of the materials that represent you, from business cards to brochures, need to have image consistency in order to be immediately recognizable by your customers…and potential customers…as being related to the unique brand that is your company. Logo, color scheme, fonts, and layout that are consistent from letterhead to business card and from envelope to ad suggest credibility and stability, in addition to taking up more of that prime mental real estate by virtue of repetition. Inconsistency of graphic elements among materials not only suggests uncertainty and sloppiness, it is just plain forgettable.

Creating a great logo and maintaining consistency among all your marketing materials will take you a long way towards creating a memorable brand that just might make your competitors mutter, “What does she have that I don’t?”

Copyright 2005 Karen Saunders

Karen Saunders is the author of the book, “Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!” Karen has helped thousands of small businesses to increase their sales over the past 15 years using her award-winning marketing design strategies. For more free tips by Karen, and to learn more about the book visit http://www.MacGraphics.net

I want to work from home. I’m tired of how high the gas prices are and how much money it costs me a week to get to and from the office. If you have been telling yourself this over and over, then it is time for you to check out cash gifting. Do not pay attention to your friends who tell you that it is a pyramid scam, instead think for yourself and check out the cash gifting system on your own. It is absolutely free to find out the details and if you do not like what you hear then, no harm no fowl.

So, you have been reading for weeks about cash gifting, it looks interesting and now you have started looking at all of the cash gifting programs that are available. It is surprising, isn’t it, how many there actually are? If you think about it, with the Internet as big as it is, it is actually surprising that their aren’t more. But I digress, if you are looking for the best gifting programs, you are going to have to do some research. The best way to go is to check out cash gifting reviews and see if you can find out all the pros and cons of each program.

With the combined advent of the internet/dot-com boom and the prevailing trend of individuals going into business for themselves, the focus and importance surrounding intellectual property has been in the forefront of the minds of entrepreneurs, artists, inventors and anyone wanting to protect the fruits of their labors.

Because intellectual property and the laws therewith can change as rapidly as our ever-increasing technological world, it is imperative that when doing research on these topics to use accredited resources - contact either the appropriate governmental agencies, attorneys or private companies that specialize in these topics.

TRADEMARKS :

Trademarks are frequently thought of as those items that identify either a product or a service. This can include names of services (e.g. McDonald’s ® for restaurant services) or products (e.g. Coca-Cola ® for soft drinks), logos (e.g. Nike’s ® swoosh design), slogans (e.g. American Express’ ® Don’t Leave Home Without It ®), packaging, sounds and smells.

There are over 2,500,000 Trademarks, and over 16,000,000 commercial Common Law trade names in use! An existing Federal Trademark, State Trademark or commercial Common Law use can take precedence over your new business or product name, IF there is a conflict or similarity in sound, appearance or meaning!

SIMILARITIES IN SOUND, APPEARANCE & MEANING:

What exactly is a similarity in Sound, Appearance or Meaning? This is the most complex portion of any legal name research. In order to determine what may or may not be a similarity, one has to be as open minded as possible to include any & all variations that could possibly confuse the common consumer. Some examples may help with this:

1. Joe has a pending Federal trademark for his auto detailing service called It’s in the Details. Becky wants to call her new auto detailing service, It is the Details. They are both offering the same service and their trade areas cross. This is a Strong Similarity, based on Sound & Appearance, their crossing of trade areas & Joe’s pending Federal application.
2. Mary has a Federally registered trademark for her clothing line, Scary Mary’s Apparel. Dan wants to use the name Mary Frightful Wear for his clothing line. This is a Strong Similarity, based on Meaning & Mary’s Federal registration.
3. Sam has a California state registered trademark for his restaurant, Crabtastic Eats! and has no plans to expand outside of the state and primarily serves locals. Hannah’s restaurant, Crabtastic, is located in Maine. She also has no plans to expand outside of the state and primarily serves locals. This is NOT a Strong Similarity based on their different trade areas.
4. Lorena’s online payroll service, Pay Up, has been in use for 15 years and has clients across the country. Gene wants to start an online payroll service called Wage Wizard. Neither of them have trademarks. This is NOT a Strong Similarity based on the dissimilarity in the names.

No claim is made to the ownership, knowledge or liability of the above personal and/or company names. The above examples are merely for informational purposes and should only be seen as such.

Naturally, there will be exceptions to every situation. For instance, similar trademarks (in name and goods/services) can coexist peacefully if both parties are comfortable with one another’s existence. This can happen if trade areas do not cross (e.g. located on opposite coasts), if they appeal to different consumers (e.g. one sells to private industry while the other sells to the general public), etc.

FAMOUS TRADEMARKS:

Trademarks that are famous are afforded slightly different protection based on the very nature of their recognizability. Simply, the argument for famous marks is that since their brand name is recognized by a vast majority of consumers, any marks similar to it, even in different industries, could be construed as an infringement. The main justification for this is if “the owner of a famous mark shall be entitled, subject to the principles of equity and upon such terms as the court deems reasonable, to an injunction against another person’s commercial use in commerce of a mark or trade name, if such use begins after the mark has become famous and causes dilution of the distinctive quality of the mark.”

Of course, like with all trademark issues, there are gray areas. Each potential infringement is taken on a case by case basis. Not all cases end up favoring large corporations either. Take the famous case of Victor’s Secret & Victoria’s Secret (Moseley et. al. d/b/a Victor’s Little Secret v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., et al.), in which the smaller company won their case.

The best route to take if there is a possibility of an infringement, famous mark or not, is to speak to a trademark attorney. She will assist you in determining what the next best step is as well as offer assistance with any preparation and filing of documents.

SUMMARY:

While trademark law can be intimidating to the uninitiated, obtaining the help of a trademark attorney or an experienced private company will make the entire process go much smoother. There are preliminary steps one can do when starting a business and/or renaming a business:

1. Choose a name that is unique & distinctive - generic or descriptive names are not generally allowed registration by the USPTO and are more difficult to enforce.
2. Do as much free research as you can before hiring an attorney or a private company. Check the internet, yellow pages, domain names & the USPTO.
3. Be aware that any research you do for free online is merely preliminary and only comprehensive research will tell if the name is available.
4. Once you receive the trademark, it is your responsibility to enforce your trademark rights. To do this, either have research conducted every 2-3 years OR hire a monitoring service.

Link to Above Quote



Shannon Moore is the General Manager, East Coast for TradeMark Express. Since 1992, TradeMark Express has met the needs of their clients with comprehensive research, application preparation, attorney referrals and trademark consultation. For further details, please visit us on the web at http://www.tmexpress.com.

Bind together two of people’s ultimate quests and you’ll track down a vogue normally named a sportsbook gambling web property. Truly, what could imaginably be more inventive… If you think of a bunch of sports devotees rooting for any preferred club, and all the time antes will be calculated parallel to the clamor. So as to get a bit of the anticipation, spectators will often strive to figure who is the likeliest to prevail in the forthcoming race. Put together, all of this evolves into a sociable little race known as sportsbook gambling web property.

So it is bound to appear neurotic, though actually sports betting is really purely diverting and of teaming up with one’s fellow sports fans. You can bet a a minor budget of wampum and all the same enjoy an excellent time. Below, you’ll find various basic hints to get started sports betting. If you want to bet, you will probably want to look up a sportsbook gambling web property, i.e. a setup that receives sportsbook gambling web property. In the United States, there’s a total of four states where you can go for sports betting in a legit manner, but if legality is no concern, you may do it everywhere assuming that you can find a bookie AND you’re legally of age. Many of the sporting contests you’ll be able to bet on are pro and, additionally, college league football + basketball, professional hockey, professional hockey, and, additionally, bets on both dog and horse racing. You’ll have a choice of risking some money on the global tally of a competition or game, at which point one of the contesting parties will go under, and even if a given tossed coin in a competition or game will come out heads or tails.

Lorenzo-Vera leads China Open by 1 shot

The betting establishment reckon with the maths to assist you guess which club you feel is most likely is the likeliest to prevail. First, we have the spread, i.e. point lead tallied to the weaker club that is presumed to lose by a defined number points. This is the sportsbook provider’s modus operandi of enabling disinterested bets for a sports book. For instance, a client may bet money on a contestant that is presumed to lose and and all the same make money on that bet assuming that the club is actually beaten by a defined number of points. We can select numerous systems of stakes- straight bets, parlay bets, and others, the straight being the best known in sports betting.

So, why don’t you simply give it a shot, and enjoy the excitement as well… Only safeguard you won’t get seized and blow your complete income frivolously… If you don’t you’ll be sure to end up unhappy about it for life…

As professional communicators, we are taught to control the message, limit the spokespeople to those trained and credible enough to deliver our carefully crafted corporate message.

But blogs have changed this.

While not for every company, blogs are an incredibly powerful communication tool when put in the hands of the rank and file. The leveraging of blogs for the PR department and executive suite should be reconsidered and instead, the value of empowering your hundreds or thousands of brand ambassadors to speak their minds and hearts about their lives and your work should be evaluated.

But what if they share all your secrets? Tell your customers how they really aren’t respected? What about controlling the message?

Your company culture will be a big determinant here: if your culture is closed and secretive, this will never work. But if you can stand to hear the good and the bad, within reason (more on this in a moment), the blogosphere and your customers, partners, investors, will be better for it. Because blogs are all about being real, transparent, accessible. Who has more of these qualities than your front line brand ambassadors? Especially when your company or value proposition is complex, these daily touchpoints for your brand can be the clarifying experience your potential or current customers need.

Microsoft is a good example. Once a secretive company thought to be the second coming of the evil empire, it has embraced blogging by its employees, in fact, has encouraged it. With limits (again, more on this in a moment), employees blog about their work, projects, and lives. They also do a fair amount of criticizing Microsoft or addressing criticism already out there about the company. This is OK. As a tool for engaging in a dialogue, blogging should address the good with the bad or you lose that transparency and credibility. You’re quickly branded as PR party line and deemed irrelevant.

One thing you need to do before you send your employees on their way with links to blogger.com, is a little document that spells out what your company’s policy is about blogging, just to be clear, so that new product prototype doesn’t find its way onto the web before it should. Some good ones to review and possibly repurpose for your situation are Yahoo’s or Sun’s.

Get your free whitepaper: The 10 Biggest Technology Marketing Mistakes… and How to Avoid Them

Rod Whitson serves Townsend as President and Chief Brand Strategist. Townsend is expert at helping organizations with innovative products and services develop differentiated, compelling value propositions. Townsend is the largest integrated marketing agency in Southern California. Rod has personally led recent branding engagements with Intel, BAE Systems, Merck, DowPharma, Marsh & McLennan, and the University of California system. He has also worked with a host of successful and not so successful early stage technology and life sciences companies. Since Townsend’s founding in 1993, it has helped clients create market valuation in excess of $80 billion.

Visit Rod’s blog, Branding the Complex

© 2006 Rod Whitson - All Rights Reserved Worldwide