Philip K. Dick Estate in Pursuit of Google’s Nexus One ∞
Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?” was about a detective pursuing a fugitive android (a “Nexus 6” model). The just-announced Google device is called the “Nexus One” and the platform is called “Android,” so I think we can all be reasonably certain that it’s a reference to the novel. I’d also like to call bullshit on Google’s “it wasn’t a reference, we were just using the word to mean a place where things converge” excuse. Sorry, guys.
As for the legality of the claim: as far as I know, trademark claims like this only hold water if there is a likelihood for confusion between the two products/brands, which seems unlikely in this case.
This also isn’t the first time that an Android device has used a sci-fi pop culture reference in its name—the Droid gets its name from the Star Wars universe, a privilege which Motorola paid for (“Droid” is a registered trademark of George Lucas). The article notes that a double standard may be in place:
Reports of the estate’s objection have led to accusations that the estate is just grubbing for money, though few seemed to think the same of George Lucas when Motorola paid him to use the name Droid for their Android OS-powered smartphone.
Personally, I don’t think Google/Motorola/HTC should have had to pay for either of those names, (“Droid” or “Nexus One”) but I guess it all comes down to which side has a strong case legally.
