Dish's Claim on 'TV Everywhere' Still in Limbo

Dish Network is still going nowhere on its application to secure a trademark on “TV Everywhere.”

Almost two years after its original filing, the satellite operator’s application remains suspended, according to an update notice posted two weeks ago on the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s site.

Dish is still pursuing the TV Everywhere trademark, a spokesman said in an e-mail Monday.

The USPTO in July 2010 suspended Dish’s application on “TV Everywhere,” citing Time Warner Inc.’s prior application to trademark “On Demand Everywhere” as potentially nullifying Dish’s claim on the term (see Dish’s ‘TV Everywhere’ Trademark Application Suspended and Someone Protested Dish’s ‘TV Everywhere’ Trademark Grab).

The company applied for protection on the trademark in September 2009 — three months after Time Warner Inc. filed a similar trademark application for “On Demand Everywhere” (see Trademarking ‘Everywhere’ and Dish Files To Trademark ‘TV Everywhere’). That also was after “TV Everywhere,” coined by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, had been widely used as a generic industry term.

Dish currently uses the TV Everywhere appellation to promote both its Slingbox options and DishOnline.com service.

In any case, is this just Charlie Ergen trying to be the skunk at the “TV Everywhere” garden party, to try to block everyone else in the industry from using the term? Add your comments below.

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