[Robotgroup] Robot Group Logo.. is it ours??

Sat Sep 2 03:36:32 PDT 2006

Well,

As the easter egg it could make sense to do like some forms of modern 
currency.
If we can get the resolution right, put our copyright notice in the 
aformentioned "place"
in micro lettering.  This way anyone with a good magnifying glass could 
zoom in on Mr.
Robotus Vetruvius and read.

C
O
P
Y
R
I
G
H
T

T
H
E

R
O
B
O
T

G
R
O
U
P

down the length of the thing.

Really since we are not using it for commercial purposes other than fund 
raising we probably won't have too many people challenging it.  Then 
again there were the anecdotal stories about the Olympic comittee 
running several mom and pop greek restaurants out of business in Atlanta 
claiming that they owned the word Olympic.

Don

Glenn wrote:

>A little info about the RG logo ...
>
>Over 10 years ago I came up with the idea for the RG logo.
>I worked with Norm, who took my description and drew several variations 
>of the logo.
>
>I picked one, paid him a token fee and donated the logo to The Robot 
>Group Inc.
>The artwork on the early T-shirts we had made was marked with a 
>copyright for
>The Robot Group Inc.
>
>The logo is a variation on the "Vitruvian Man" drawn by Leonardo Da 
>Vinci about 1492.
>
>See:
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_man
>
>for "prior art".
>
>Leonardo was making notes on the work of the Roman architect Vitruvis, 
>so his work was
>somewhat derivative as well.  Vitruvis lived about 70 - 25 BC.  His work 
>may not have been
>completely original either, as the divine proportion had been used by 
>the Greeks, and the Romans
>ripped off a lot of stuff from the Greeks - more prior art.
>
>One of the points that Vitruvis was trying to make was that, to be 
>pleasing to humans, buildings
>should incorporate the same ratios and proportions of the human body, in 
>his opinion.
>
>Leonardo was a perfect example of the combination of art and 
>technology.  As he did his apprenticeship
>in an art studio/shop, he started out by collecting the materials needed 
>to make paints and all the other
>tools and materials used by artist of his time.  He had to master all 
>the technical side of doing art before
>becoming a master artist - ace the technical stuff, then move on from 
>there. 
>
>The idea that art and technology are on opposite ends of some scale, is 
>a popular idea with some,
>that fail to grasp the big picture.
>
>With the RG logo, the idea was to sharpen the focus on the harmony 
>between art and technology,
>that has always been a core concept of the group.
>
>It is very difficult to copyright artwork.  If the image is altered, in 
>any way, then it becomes more
>difficult to win a fight in U.S. courts.  I have donated about $5,000.00 
>in lawyer fees, over the years,
>for The Robot Group Inc.  A lawyer can answer questions, and provide 
>informed opinions, but cannot
>ever really guarantee what a court will decide - and it is an expensive 
>game to play.  It would be trivial to
>spend > $20,000.00 just to give it a try in legally defending the logo.  
>You can ask about the difference
>between a registered trademark and a logo too - take something to drink 
>and find a comfortable chair.
>
>I understand wanting to protect the logo.  I truly appreciate the idea.  
>The group really does not have
>the funds to support a real legal challenge, unfortunately.
>
>Only big companies that invest millions of dollars in promoting their 
>logos or trademarks, can justify the expense of
>defending them.
>
>I suggest a nice note to those who honor Leonardo and Vitruvis, and 
>spend the money on robots, or beer.
>
>Something much more interesting - to some, may be a type of "Easter Egg" 
>in the RG logo.
>
>You see, anyone that does a variation on Leonardo's Vitruvian Man, must 
>make a key decision -
>what do you do about the penis?  Leo was an artist, and drew it as he 
>saw it - uncircumcised and all.
>
>Norm and I discussed a Vitruvian watch face, using the arms for minutes 
>and hours, and the more central
>"limb", as a second hand.  Anyone for a RG analogue watch? A real weenie 
>flipper.
>
>So invite you to take a close look at the RG logo to see the solution 
>Norm and I settled on -
>then take a look at all the other variations of the Vitruvian Man you 
>can find - and see what
>decisions others made.
>
>I remember seeing an IEEE Visa card with a version of the drawing - 
>minus penis... what does it all mean?
>
>Happy egg hunting!
>
>-Glenn
>
>
>
>brooksdesign wrote:
>  
>
>>I ran into Norm at the HEB a while back and have his # somewhere ,I'll look for it and forward it to Mike later .
>>-brooks
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>  
>>    
>>
>>>From: vkonradi <vkonradi at swbell.net>
>>>Sent: Sep 1, 2006 2:52 PM
>>>To: Austin Robotgroup Mailing List <robotgroup at puremagic.com>
>>>Subject: Re: [Robotgroup] Robot Group Logo.. is it ours??
>>>
>>>I recall that Glenn thought up the logo theme and commissioned Norm to draw it.  Its first usage was probably on the Pulse letterhead.
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----
>>>From: Vern Graner <vern at txis.com>
>>>To: vkonradi <vkonradi at swbell.net>; Austin Robotgroup Mailing List <robotgroup at puremagic.com>
>>>Sent: Friday, September 1, 2006 12:46:27 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Robotgroup] Robot Group Logo.. is it ours??
>>>
>>>
>>>vkonradi wrote:
>>>    
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Oh, and given how much the RG logo is a derivative work in itself, would it really be appropriate to argue?
>>>>      
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>My concern is that someone might come after *us*, so in order to make 
>>>sure the logo is "ours" did we need to take any steps to insure no one 
>>>could take it from us.
>>>
>>>I still don't know *exactly* who made the logo, how it was made, what 
>>>copyrights (if any) pertain to it... I'm curious to know if it *really* 
>>>ours...?
>>>
>>>Vern
>>>
>>>-- 
>>>Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
>>>Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
>>>Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course, if the network
>>>http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
>>>Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Robotgroup mailing list
>>>Robotgroup at puremagic.com
>>>http://lists.puremagic.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/robotgroup
>>>    
>>>      
>>>
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>>    
>>
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