I received this e-mail just as I was finishing up Epsy Sans 6.0.
Date: 03/12 12:51 PM
Received: 03/13 7:51 PM
From: Lynn Bekkala, Bekkala@applelink.apple.com
To: Martin Pfeiffer, wamozart@teleport.comYou are violating US trademark laws, which not only protect product names from being used by others, but also protect against the sort of intentional confusion which is exemplified by changing around a couple of letters of a protected name. Please change the name of the font to something besides EPSY.
I believe that I contacted you about this many months ago.
If you have any questions about this, I will be happy to direct you to our corporate legal counsel, who can clarify this aspect of the law for you.
Lynn Bekkala
Apple Computer
To which I responded:
Please respond in writing. I have never been contacted about any name change. I won't change the name of my font simply based on an e-mail. You can contact me at:
Martin P. Pfeiffer
3045 NE 57th Ave. #C
Vancouver, WA 98661
So Ms. Bekkala responded:
I have forwarded your request to Apple's corporate counsel, per your instructions.
Lynn Bekkala
___________________________________________ Lynn Marie Bekkala email: bekkala@apple.com phone: 408.974.9374 APPLE COMPUTER, INC. International Font Development 1 Infinite Loop Mailstop 302-3KS Cupertino, CA 95014 ___________________________________________
Now I noticed the sig (which was not on here first e-mail to me) and concluded that she had a valid request. So I wrote back that I would poll my registered users for new names and then submit them to Apple for approval. Here are all the names I received:
Moderne Sans
Simplicity Sans
Nu Sans
Dorfmann Sans
Dare Sans
Lies Sans
Consequences Sans
UpTheirs Sans
Coping Sans
Eppsie Sans
Epp-See Sans
Epp-Sea Sans
Aes-Pea Sans
S-P Sans
Next Best Thing Sans
Almost Copland Sans
Eight Is Enough! Sans
Next Time Sans
Epsum Sans
Sysiphus Sans
Epsissy Sans
Espree Sans
Humanist Sans
Epsi Sans
Litigious Sans
Virtue Sans
Beauty Sans
Austin Sans
Seattle Sans
BHA Sans
Doppleganger Sans
Notspy Sans
Injunction Sans
Oopsie San
Bastard Sans
Sosumi Sans
Espinoza Sans
Noza Sans
Epsa Sans
Itsy Sans
And here is the e-mail I received from Apple:
Date: 03/17 8:20 AM
Received: 03/17 5:39 PM
From: TJ Angioletti, tj.a@apple.com
To: Marty Pfeiffer, wamozart@teleport.com
CC: LYNN Bekkala, bekkala@apple.com
Elizabeth Greer, greer@apple.comDear Marty,
Apple appreciates your decision to change the name of your font. Pursuant to your proposed list, we do not have a problem with the following names: Moderne Sans, Simplicity Sans, Nu Sans, Virtue Sans and Beauty Sans. Please note that while Apple approves your use of these names, we are not guaranteeing their availability with respect to third parties. Accordingly, you may wish to seek advice of counsel prior to use.
With respect to the other names on your list, I will simply state that use of a name which is similar to an Apple trademark (via sight, sound or meaning) or disparages Apple is a concern to us. Thus, we would appreciate you moving in a different direction.
Lastly, the only approval offered via this letter involves your use of the above referenced names. Apple reserves all rights it has in its font designs and in no way authorizes your use of such designs.
Thank you again for your cooperation. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Apple Computer, Inc.
T.J. Angioletti
Counsel
(408) 974-2385
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