rickman wrote in :

The easiest way to find out about trademark is to use it and see if they
complain. All they will ask (or demand) is that you stop. In fact you
may not ever get a reply to your letter, but if they care about their
trademark they will *have* to respond to your usage because otherwise
they lose the trademark.

That said, it is very seldom that a company is willing to give up a
trademark on an old product. There always want to be able to revive the
product in a new incarnation.


They might. At one time it outsold the piano. No other electronic
instrument (perhaps any 'serious' instrument except maybe guitar) has done
that. I'll ask first though, because one thing I want to avoid is having some
name beginning to get established, only to change it again. A shaky start
like that can be damaging. I'm hoping that anyone working in detail in direct
relation to one of their well-known products will be interesting enough to
Yamaha to at least get a curious reply. If not, I'll either think of a new
name, or put a prominent note on any web site to the effect that I can be
contacted at if they need to talk to me, and
that if they have any dispute, please do so rather than have lawyers do it
for them, as I have already tried to open civilised contact with anyone who I
think needs to know. I'll be polite about it, but I'll be clear that I do not
want litigation battles.