Talk:USPS

Please visit the following website (owned and operated by United Stated Power Squadrons) "USPS Trademark Statement"

This page clearly states that the acronym "USPS" is legally owned by United Stated Power Squadrons. The United States Postal Service is licensed to use the acronym, and should therefore have a reference on the United States Power Squadrons page (as it does). It is wrong to say that United States Power Squadrons is not the unique owner of the acronym "USPS".

Please note the dates: United States Power Squadrons founded 1914; United States Postal Service organized on July 1, 1971. United States Power Squadrons is the original, legal, trademarked owner of the acronym "USPS".

Jfiander (talk) 01:43, 10 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Firstly, the issue of trademark on Wikipedia is secondary to directing readers to their intended destinations. A sampling of the pages linking to USPS shows that all are intended for the Postal Service. This indicates that the redirect should go there.

Secondly, a lesson in trademark. Multiple entities can hold similar trademarks so long as their activities fall into different trademark classes. The activities of the United States Power Squadrons and the United States Postal Service are sufficiently different that both have been issued trademarks on "USPS" by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Your statement that the Power Squadrons have licensed the usage of USPS to the Postal Service is incorrect.

Even if trademark was an issue, the statement on the Power Squadrons site is still incorrect. The United States Power Squadrons have not had the legal rights to the registered trademark "USPS" since 1992. The USPTO lists the following:

Word Mark USPS

Goods and Services (CANCELLED) IC 042. US 100. G & S: SERVICES BY THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE YACHTING, POWER AND SAIL; TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE A HIGH AMATEUR STANDARD OF SKILL IN THE HANDLING AND NAVIGATION OF YACHTS, POWER AND SAIL; TO ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE STUDY OF THE SCIENCE AND ART OF NAVIGATION, SEAMANSHIP AND SMALL BOAT HANDLING AS WELL AS COOPERATION WITH THE AGENCIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT CHARGED WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO NAVIGATION. FIRST USE: 19710000. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19710000

Live/Dead Indicator DEAD

Cancellation Date February 28, 1992

The Power Squadrons trademark on "USPS" expired 17 years ago for failure to tell the Trademark Office that they were still using the trademark. The United States Postal Service's registered trademark on USPS is still in effect.

In the interest of better serving Wikipedia's readers, I am again reverting your change. -- Cyrius|✎ 09:19, 10 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]