Comments on: Adobe Systems Incorporated v. Continental Drift http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:32:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jangari http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/#comment-233 Jangari Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:50:17 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/#comment-233 And let's not forget that no amount of money in the world could by the sort of publicity that goes with being lexicalised as the archetype of any given form. It's a huge accolade and endorsement of your product if its name is synonymous for all products of that type and it ain't often that it happens so smoothly. Sony managed it with the <i>Walkman</i>, unfortunately <i>iPod</i> looks like it has achieved the same, but these sorts of linguistic monopolies are extremely rare. Adobe should be proud. And let’s not forget that no amount of money in the world could by the sort of publicity that goes with being lexicalised as the archetype of any given form. It’s a huge accolade and endorsement of your product if its name is synonymous for all products of that type and it ain’t often that it happens so smoothly. Sony managed it with the Walkman, unfortunately iPod looks like it has achieved the same, but these sorts of linguistic monopolies are extremely rare. Adobe should be proud.

]]> By: will http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/#comment-230 will Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:18:12 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/#comment-230 Jangari, exactly. When they post a big list of what they don't want you to do, there are people who read it and learn the cool and novel forms it contains. "To Photoshop" is an awesome verb, and I'm sure that anybody unfamiliar with it will pick it up quickly now that Adobe has graciously supplied a guide to its use. When you outwardly try to keep a word or phrase down, it only makes it more appealing. Whether it's swearing, sacrelige, or simple corporate trademarks, you can never reverse language change. Jangari, exactly. When they post a big list of what they don’t want you to do, there are people who read it and learn the cool and novel forms it contains. “To Photoshop” is an awesome verb, and I’m sure that anybody unfamiliar with it will pick it up quickly now that Adobe has graciously supplied a guide to its use.

When you outwardly try to keep a word or phrase down, it only makes it more appealing. Whether it’s swearing, sacrelige, or simple corporate trademarks, you can never reverse language change.

]]> By: Jangari http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/#comment-229 Jangari Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:26:00 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/22/adobe-systems-incorporated-v-continental-drift/#comment-229 It seems really odd to me that they would want to restrict varied use of the term 'photoshop' at all. Every time someone hears the verb 'to photoshop' for the first time they have been unwittingly the object of buzz marketing, but Adobe apparently doesn't like free advertising. I have a tendency to use 'doctored' in less colloquial settings, but I use 'photoshopped' often. However, one derivation that I don't use nor have ever even heard, is the noun 'a photoshop' when it stands for 'an image that has been photoshopped'. But now that I have it in my lexicon, I can't stop it from emerging. It seems really odd to me that they would want to restrict varied use of the term ‘photoshop’ at all. Every time someone hears the verb ‘to photoshop’ for the first time they have been unwittingly the object of buzz marketing, but Adobe apparently doesn’t like free advertising.
I have a tendency to use ‘doctored’ in less colloquial settings, but I use ‘photoshopped’ often. However, one derivation that I don’t use nor have ever even heard, is the noun ‘a photoshop’ when it stands for ‘an image that has been photoshopped’. But now that I have it in my lexicon, I can’t stop it from emerging.

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