December 26, 2007, 10:14P
Re: Castaway Bay name..is it a trademark or copyright?
There's a major difference between a copyright and a trademark. A trademark, by the U.S. Government's definition is
A trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods. In short, a trademark is a brand name.
...whereas a copyright is...
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies songs, computer software and architecture. (Generally, content.)
A copyright does not cover facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.
With that being said, Castaway Bay is a trademark. If you look further into Ramada's website, they advertise the waterpark as Ramada Plaza Water Park... or is this a different area of the hotel? My guess is that Ramada either had the area named that prior to Castaway Bay's opening, are unaware of the similar name, or have an agreement with the park.
Last edited by DBCP, December 26, 2007, 11:33P