Last week Google bought Motorola Mobility division for $12.1 Billion dollars. Such a massive deal all p0int to Google primarily interested in Motorola’s large patent chest as a way to protect the Android operating system. As this deal made the news, what I thought about was this: what else is Google getting?
Six Sigma Trademark
Motorola won the trademark on “Six Sigma” in 1993, and it’s pretty clear that Six Sigma hasn’t helped them much. It’s always important to remember that improving a process that shouldn’t exist or creating a product nobody wants is waste.
History teaches us that Motorola invented the Six Sigma methodology and approach to reducing defects by attacking process variation. “Six Sigma”, the trademark, could very well be part of what Google just bought.
If that’s true, then Google will own the trademark to “Six Sigma”. Interesting. Then again, the use of Six Sigma at Google would be so surprising, since that is a requirement for many jobs there. Of course none of this really matters, but is only interesting insofar as patents and trademarks are interesting. The answer of which is not much at all.
Below is the trademark document for “Six Sigma” from the US Patent Office (USPTO):
| Word Mark | SIX SIGMA |
| Goods and Services | IC 016. US 038. G & S: printed publications; namely, magazines, brochures, reports and leaflets about product quality and product quality improvement programs in the fields of electronics and communications equipment manufacturing. FIRST USE: 19900130. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19900130IC 041. US 107. G & S: educational services; namely, conducting classes about product quality and product quality improvement programs for products in the fields of electronics and communications equipment and providing related instructional materials. FIRST USE: 19900130. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19900130 |
| Mark Drawing Code | (5) WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS IN STYLIZED FORM |
| Serial Number | 74199225 |
| Filing Date | August 29, 1991 |
| Current Filing Basis | 1A |
| Original Filing Basis | 1A |
| Published for Opposition | March 23, 1993 |
| Registration Number | 1813630 |
| Registration Date | December 28, 1993 |
| Owner | (REGISTRANT) Motorola, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 1303 East Algonquin Road Schaumburg ILLINOIS 60196(LAST LISTED OWNER) MOTOROLA TRADEMARK HOLDINGS, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE 600 NORTH US HIGHWAY 45 LIBERTYVILLE ILLINOIS 60048 |
| Assignment Recorded | ASSIGNMENT RECORDED |
| Attorney of Record | ARCH M. AHERN |
| Prior Registrations | 1647704 |
| Type of Mark | TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK |
| Register | PRINCIPAL |
| Affidavit Text | SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20030331. |
| Renewal | 1ST RENEWAL 20030331 |
| Live/Dead Indicator | LIVE |
It can be but not at this moment. Google seems very serious on their android operating system after see apple get a huge success from their iphone. They are aiming for the handphone market at this moment