Re: Owner of Dewey Decimal System Sues Library-Themed Hotel

[Kent Mulliner <mulliner@ohio.edu>]

>From the OCLC explanations that I have seen, the issue is trademark
rather than copyright. As the LJ Academic NewsWire reported:

>Joseph Dreitler, a trademark lawyer with a firm that
>represents OCLC, termed the Library Hotel case "straight-
>out trademark infringement."

A companion article, also quoting Dreitler, asserted that OCLC was simply
seeking an acknowledgement by the hotel that DDC was an OCLC trademark and
was not seeking payment.  According to Dreitler, the hotel refused to
provide such a document acknowledging the trademark.

kent mulliner, ohio university

At 08:24 PM 9/24/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>The reason OCLC is filing against the Library Hotel is to protect their
>copyright status with regard to the Dewey Decimal System. If they do not
>challenge this unauthorized use, others with more malicious intent could
>challenge their copyright status. OCLC has offered to negotiate with the
>Library Hotel over this matter and they refuse.
>
>I say this as member Solinet member of OCLC's Members Council.
>
>Gherman, Paul M
>Email: paul.gherman@Vanderbilt.Edu