[Harp-L] Re: Melody MakerTM and Lee Oskar

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave wrote:

"He went to the trouble and expense of making it a trademark, so I  
assumed that he cared. It isn't my place to decide that he would be  
better served by people killing his trademark. If I was out of place  
mentioning it, mea culpa."

I don't think you were out of place--it's good to recognize that  
these issues exist, and particularly the reason behind them: because  
someone went to the effort to create something new, and for the  
harmonica no less.

But, using the term "Melody Maker" to describe the tuning in general  
isn't "killing his trademark" any more than talking about "Cheerios"  
being healthy rather than "toasted whole grain oat cereals" is when  
some people mention that they buy the generic.  The trademark is  
there not to protect the rest of us from using the term generically,  
but rather to prevent Hohner, Seydel, Suzuki and others from  
commercially marketing this tuning under the name--especially when  
that name has become the generic.

Now, if anyone wants a "Melody Maker" they have to go to LO.  If they  
want it from another company, they have to figure out what name that  
company has given this tuning which they know by the common name.




 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'