Ha! I was actually wondering when this would go down. I mean - just a couple of weeks ago - Googling "Transformer Prime" showed me a ton of Optimus Prime Transformer pages.

Interesting - I wonder how this will play out.

 

They deserve it I don't know what they were thinking to be honest they can get away with just the transformer but when you call the next one the prime it's obvious they are referencing transformers the movie/cartoon. I don't like the name in the first place makes it sound kind of cheesy and childish something short and sweet would have been better like the "Voltage" or something like that.

 

Isn't it Transformers anyway?

 

The name of the show was "Transformers" - but each character, on it's own, is a "Transformer".

Even more specific, there is a "Transformer" named "Optimus Prime".

That's really where the lawsuit is stemming from.

 

I figured they had permission, as in paying Hasbro to use the name. If not, then of course it would be a legal issue.

 

With all due respect, do you just hate this device? I ask because it seems that every post you've made is negative about it. That's fine, if this is the case. You haven't been a jerk about it or anything. I truly just wonder why the interest in these threads, if you don't like this particular tablet.

 

Well I can honestly say I'm glad they didn't name it 'Voltage' lol.. but like Nastro mentioned, I had assumed they had permission since it is so obvious where the name came from.

I personally like the name, but I'm sure it'll end up being changed eventually.

 

I see the point, since it is kind of dumb, if their legal did not research and establish non-litigious merit of the naming and branding.

Seems stupid if not check. Real stupid and could mean more delay for the second batch- if a judge agrees.

 

I think this is hilarious, its just another company thats behaving like apple.
A transformer is a device that can step voltages or something that can alao be something else, in this case a tablet that can be a laptop. Prime;adj; of first importance, main.
Asus named as such because its the first tablet of its kind to make it to market.
I can see where hasbro put the name and version together but this naming convention is not the asus transformers optimus prime. It is an Asus transformer prime.

Edit; its all Michael Bay's fault for putting hasbro back on the retail map.

 

True. Apple and Widows are doing it since Apple seems threatened and Windows has no chance unless they try to hurt the competition for phones.

Kind of like politics. If you can not beat them on the issues or caught in a lie- slander and trash talk them.

 

yeah, you just might confuse this tablet for a Transformers cartoon

 

There is why I think it's not going to stick. The shows name is Transformers. A transformer is an electrical device to convert voltage and current.
The Transformer named Optimus Prime has Optimus in its name. How can just Prime be construed as Optimus Prime?

Now is Asus called it the Optimus Prime I can see that but it's just Prime.
Why didn't they sue when the original Transformer came out?
I see Asus is probably riding the Transformer wave but I just don't seeing this go anywhere.
Anyway, IDGAS what happens as long as I have my Transformer Prime in my hands. It's not like they'll come and take it away from me (but who knows in this country anymore).

 

I'm just playing devil's advocate here - but the Transformer isn't named after the voltage converter - it was named that way because it "transforms" into a laptop with the dock...

Having said that - I can't see how this lawsuit can proceed - at least, not in the U.S. There is a likelihood of confusion test that factors into U.S. Trademark law - where you look at a bunch of factors to see if someone might confuse one for another.

Like a few people said - it would be hard for Hasbro to claim that ANYONE would confuse the Asus tablet for a Transformer (be it a toy, the cartoon, the movie - anything, really).

One other factor is the whether the marks are going to compete against one another - where, again, they might confuse people in the market. Since the Transformer Prime and Optimus Prime are going after a COMPLETELY separate market, I just don't see how this lawsuit would have any standing in court (in the U.S.).

 

I just posted a message about this in another thread..

I just cant see how they think using 2 words from the english language isn't allowed. Hasbro don't even use the 2 words 'Transformer' and 'Prime' in the same way ASUS have anyway..

He isn't called ''Transformer Optimus Prime'' or ''Transformer Prime'', he is called 'Optimus Prime' and he is a 'Transformer'.

Its petty, its stupid - as said above it is another case like Apple.

But what i really don't understand, I don't think many kids will be saying
''Mummy.. Daddy.. i didn't want a Transformer toy called Optimus Prime.. i wanted An ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime!!!''

Seems as though if you want to make a new product now days, you'd better make your own language up, or just call it some jumbled up gibberish just so you don't accidentally use a free-to-use word and get sued.

 

At the end of the day, all that matters is if Hasbro can get Asus to settle for more than Hasbro's legal costs, which they probably will. There have been far more ridiculous lawsuits. It would be nice to see Asus loose a little money this round but set a precedent for silly lawsuits that get brought to them. It would be really nice to see the legal system be changed, but if that happened lawyers would stand to loose the most, so we'd be fighting for legal change against lawyers. My guess is this doesn't happen anytime soon.

 

I could see the lawsuit having some merit if they marketed the Transformer and Transformer Prime in a way that was similar to Transformers. For example a commericial where it starts off as a cube then unfolds multiply times forming a completely different looking device. As far as I know that is not that case. The only thing I have seen is a hand come into the shot and snapping the tablet into the keyboard dock. Hardly similar to what one would consider the type of Transformer Hasbro is griping about.

As I stated in another thread, Prime can be described in different ways, one of which is "Thriving" and since that is a form or "Thrive", and by definition is the meaning of Prime, perhaps Toshiba should be included in the lawsuit. That is no more ridiculous than the lawsuit against Asus.

Someone at the beginning of this thread said it was obvious they were referrencing the movie character when they named it Prime. I don't see that all. I never associated the two when I heard about the Transformer Prime. As another poster stated, the name is Optimus Prime. Now if next years model is the Transformer Optimus Prime then I would agree.

 

An electrical transformer "transformers" power from high to low or vice versa and have been around much longer than the best cartoon/toys ever, lol.

 

I'm going to make a television and call it the Crabapple eyeTube. Think apple will care?

 

Reminds me of when I put my phone in airplane mode and it didn't do anything -- worst transformer ever...

 

Dont quote me on this, but i think there was a transformers series called "Transformers Prime"

Im guessing thats where this suit is based from.

 

I was just pointing out that there a other things in this world called a transformer. I know Asus named it the Transformer because it can "transform" from a tablet to a netbook/laptop type device.

 

They aren't suing because of OPTIMUS Prime's name, but TRANSFORMERS Prime, the name of their current TV series, which is about to go into it's second season. Asus was either lazy or foolish. Seriously no one in their Legal Dept can do a simple Google search?