In a story at The New York Times (registration required, via Slashdot), a man by the name of Leo Stoller claims to possess exclusive trademark rights to the word "stealth" in all uses, as well as other dictionary words such as "aerospace", "terminator", "starlight", "fable", and ironically enough "chutzpah", a Yiddish word that means gall, audacity or nerve.
In English one could say this man has balls (or cojones in Spanish). Frankly, I feel another Yiddish word better describes Mr. Stoller...
..the man's a putz.
Through his "company", Rentamark, he actively pursues litigation of "trademark infringement" of many commonly used dictionary words. He's currently suing Sony's Columbia Pictures division over their new movie Stealth, claiming infringement even though he has nothing to do with the motion picture industry. Apparently, Columbia Pictures is counter-suing for declatory judgment, claiming Stoller's suit is frivolous.
Frankly, I hope Sony gives him the legal spanking this loser deserves. The patent and trademark system is farked up as it is without people like him coming in to make a fast buck off of it.
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