Gracious Professionalism(TM)???

[Garret]

Perhaps with the trademark, other events, competitions, activities and groups will be cautions about adopting Gracious Professionalism as part of their culture. It certainly prevents them from using the term in anything official without FIRST's express permission. I think this is what the original post was trying to get at.

That's a good point. I had not looked at it like that.

However a trademark protects the usage of term "Gracious Professionalism" in respect to labeling a product or service (specifically recognizing the originating organization) not the philosophy and actual actions/state of being of gracious professionalism (that would be a patent), meaning that other groups could still adopt a similar philosophy just under a different name. Just because it is a trademark there is no reason that other groups cannot adopt this philosophy. The only thing a trademark protects is the name itself in cases in which another organization claims the term as its own, it has nothing to do with usage of the term in day to day activities.

I do not think that there is anything wrong or ironic about them putting a trademark on Gracious Professionalism or Coopertition, all this is doing is adding legitimacy and protections to FIRST. I would hope that people would see the benefit and necessary protections that intellectual property rights bring in this case, I just do not like stretching in order to find irony in or find fault with something is truly a great thing.