“On October 9, the European Patent t & Trademark Office published Apple’s latest trademark/service mark titled ‘Time Tunnel’ filed under application number 005348917,” Neo reports for MacNN.
“During Apple’s last World Wide Developer Conference, which was held this past August, they previewed a new automatic backup utility feature coming to ‘Leopard,’ called Time Machine. The preview of Time Machine did in fact include a graphic illustrating a Time Tunnel. Whether Apple’s official Time Tunnel trademark is representing a new application or simply replacing the original Time Machine branding of their forthcoming automatic backup utility feature, is unknown at this time,” Neo reports.
Full article with more details here.
Related articles:
Computerworld: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard’s ‘Time Machine’ is truly remarkable – October 05, 2006
eWeek: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard with 3-D Time Machine is amazing – August 08, 2006
Apple Mac OS X Leopard’s ‘Time Machine’ vs. Microsoft’s ‘System Restore’ – August 07, 2006
Take a ride in Apple Mac OS X Leopard’s ‘Time Machine’ – August 07, 2006
Apple posts Steve Jobs’ WWDC 2006 keynote video – August 07, 2006
Apple previews Mac OS X Leopard featuring Time Machine, Spaces, enhanced Mail & iChat, and more – August 07, 2006
No! Not “Time Tunnel”. Irwin Allen will be all over them.
It’s my understanding that the TITLE of anything using an accepted English language word or phrase cannot be copyrighted. That is, if you wish to write a novel today called “Gone With The Wind,” go ahead. It just better not have anyone named O’Hara and Butler in it. (In my iTunes library I have about 20 songs named “Angel Eyes,” for instance.)
This is the legal reason the chief component of MS Office is “Microsoft Word,” not just “Word.” “Microsoft” is not a naturally-occurring word in the English language, so locking it beside “Word,” (which IS native) protects it. That being said, this feature may eventually have to become “Mac Time Tunnel” or something such as that.
To Randian,
While you’re correct about copyrights, it’s not the same for patents and trademarks. Just think of all the company names and logos, even slogans, that are basically “natural English words and phrases” that are trademarked and protected.
e.g.: General Electric, Staples, American Broadcast Company, etc.
Thats also why they started to name Windows as “Windows95” etc.
I wonder if you empty the trash in Finder if it will still say “You Cannot Undo this Action”.
“Whether Apple’s official Time Tunnel trademark is representing a new application or simply replacing the original Time Machine branding of their forthcoming automatic backup utility feature, is unknown at this time”
Since this application was filed in June, and Time Machine was first demonstrated at WWDC in August, maybe Time Tunnel was the original name, but they changed it to Time Machine. Or maybe they’re trying to cover all the bases so they can decide later. What else could it be?
Perhaps a Time Tunnel is a method for selling stuff on iTunes… Select your film/music as you go back in time down the Time Tunnel?
I’d be interested to see Bob Dylan’s stuff going back to his first works.. great by me. Or Scorcese films, or Puccinini operas…
And again, this Magic Word thing is really creepy MDN..MW = ‘time’ lol.
This is probably just Apple protecting itself by trademarking derivatives before competitors try to make their own knock-offs of Time Machine for Windows and such and call them names like “Time Tunnel.”
No! Not “Time Tunnel”. Irwin Allen will be all over them.
Which would be pretty ugly as he died in 1991.
Well, it would be nice if we could download the old “Time Tunnel” TV series on iTunes. That always be the real “Time Tunnel” to some baby boomers. So, I sort of liked “Time Machine” better for Apple…
The Empty Trash message will be updated to say “You Can Un-undo this Inaction. Please Select Maybe to Continue”.
“Time Tunnel” was the name of a ’60s show on “ABC.” It was sort of a cross between “Quantum Leap” and “Stargate.” It wasn’t on very long.
I enjoyed watching “Time Tunnel” re-runs when I was younger. But I like the phrase “Time Machine” for the backup utility.
Time Tunnel is Apple’s secret plan to reverse time and start running the PC marketplace backwards to the point where they had decent market share.
Brilliant Technology!