In this episode we will talk about Amazon Prime and issues with trademarks and FAAs, we have an interview with Stephan Freischem, who served as Secretary General of AIPPI and is currently serving as Deputy Secretary General of GRUR. And we will also tell you about a company from China that is launching a generic version of Viagra after the patents have expired earlier this year.

 

IP FRIDAYS

 

Co-Presenters:

Rolf Claessen and Kenneth Suzan

 

Episode 16 – November 28, 2014

 

RC =   Rolf Claessen

KS =    Kenneth Suzan

 

 

Hi.  This is Stephan Freischem.  I am Deputy Secretary General of the German IP Association GRUR and you are listening to IP Fridays.

 

KS:      Hello and welcome to this episode of IP Fridays.  Our names are Ken Suzan and Rolf Claessen and this is THE podcast dedicated to Intellectual Property.  It does not matter where you are from, in-house or private practice, novice or expert, we will help you stay up-to-date with current topics in the fields of trademarks, patents, design and copyright, discover useful tools and much more.

 

RC:      Welcome to Episode 16.  Today we have an interview with Stephan Freischem, former Secretary General of AIPPI and now Deputy Secretary General of GRUR.  I will tell you about a Chinese company that developed a generic version of Viagra and before we jump into the interview, Ken has a story about Amazon Prime Air and issues with the FAA and trademark issues.

 

KS:      Amazon.com, headquartered in Seattle, Washington is turning what seems to be science fiction, into reality.  Rather than waiting the standard 5 to7 business days to receive a package, Amazon’s goal is to have the package delivered to the consumer in 30 minutes or less.  Amazon plans to use new technology for their delivery method, often referred to as a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV under the mark PRIME AIR.

 

The idea of having a drone deliver a package may raise some questions, both being good and bad.  What standards and regulations will be created in order to ensure safety?  When will consumers start seeing Prime Air as a delivery option?  How long will it take to develop such technology?  Amazon seems to have the answers to the many questions that have been asked. The company claims that the technology is ready for use – but the company must gain FAA approval.  The public’s concerns include issues such as safety, the privacy of the package, theft, and damage risks to the drones.

 

Many consumers believe that Prime Air has too much hype to it, and will not become a reality in the near future.  One of Amazon’s many responses to criticism is hiring a team of individuals to create and perfect the drone such as scientists, aeronautical engineers, and a former NASA astronaut.  Names include Paul Viola, who is an MIT Ph.D. and has worked with Microsoft, Avi Bar-Zeev, who sold Keyhole, Inc. which was turned into Google Earth, NASA Astronaut Neil Woodward, and many more noteworthy names.

 

Alongside with Amazon, Google has also been working on a drone-type delivery system. Their program is named Project Wing.  Project Wing’s drones physically look very different than Amazon’s, but in regards towards what they’ll be delivering, Google has different plans.  As of now, Google plans on delivering packages in disaster relief situations versus Amazon’s product delivery to consumers.

 

And if concerns with the FAA aren’t enough, Amazon is also facing multiple 2(d) likelihood of confusion refusals in their trademark and service mark application for PRIME AIR, filed on May 21, 2014.  Registrations for PRIME and PRIMAIR are just a few of the federal registrations that were cited in an Office Action issued to Amazon Technologies, Inc., the applicant of PRIME AIR.