--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 11:05:50 +0100
From: Darius Bartlett <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: FW: Metadata a trademark ? <fwd>
Sender: Darius Bartlett <[log in to unmask]>


At 14:21 18/05/00 -0400, you wrote:
>--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
>Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 09:28:34 +1000
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: FW: Metadata a trademark ?
>Sender: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>A colleague has received a letter from a firm of attorneys in the US, as
>follows below. I recollect that this issue was raised about a year ago
>either on this list or another to which I subscribe. In any case I am
>seeking information on the validity of the claim, whether it has been tested
>in USA, and what organisations are doing about it. Appreciate any comments
>or pointers. Many thanks in advance.
>
>Jon  Stirzaker
>Australian Geological Survey Organisation
>E-mail:  [log in to unmask]

Jon, I forwarded your message to the Irish GIS interest group mailing list
(IRLGIS-L) and got the following reply from Bernard Farrell at the Irish
Ordnance Survey:

>Return-path: <[log in to unmask]>
>Delivery-receipt-to: Bernard Farrell <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 10:20:28 +0100
>From: Bernard Farrell <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: Metadata a trademark ? <fwd>
>To: 'Darius Bartlett' <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: OSI
>
>It would appear that it is indeed a genuine registration.  See the entry
below for some background to the origins of "Metadata".
>http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=Metadata
>It would appear that all our metadata experts have now become meta data
experts!
>Regards,
>Bernard Farrell

I had a look at the website he refers to, and this seems to bear out and
explain the general conclusion that "Metadata" truly IS an Incontestable
U.S. trade mark. Interesting! And I think many people will both thank and
curse you, in equal measure (the latter because of human tendencies to
blame the messanger for the message), for bringing it to our attention!

Best regards

Darius Bartlett


***********************************************************************
Darius Bartlett                                         Darius Bartlett
Department of Geography                          Roinn na Tireolaiochta
University College Cork                  Colaste na hOllscoile Corcaigh
Cork, Ireland                                            Corcaigh, Eire

Phone: (+353) 21 902835                            Fax: (+353) 21 271980
Phone(GSM): (+353) 86 8238043               Fax (GSM): (+353) 86 8018143
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Web page URL: http://www.ucc.ie/ucc/depts/geography/stafhome/djb/djb.htm
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