Linguistic battles in trademark disputes

About this book

"Can a large corporation actually own English words or prefixes? Should dictionaries be used to describe how language is used by the public? How can linguistics help lawyers in their trademark cases? What do lawyers need to know about how language works in order to win their cases? In this book, Professor Shuy addresses and illustrates these questions, noting the differences between linguistics and law in their underlying assumptions, values and beliefs about knowledge authority and power. His experience in ten sample trademark cases frames the discussion. In five of these cases, the testimony of linguists opposing his testimony is also presented, offering different linguistic perspectives on the same issues. The book concludes with suggestions first for lawyers, and then for linguists, as they work on trademark cases together. The book is timely, since trademark cases are largely about language and more and more corporations and lawyers are turning to linguists for help."--BOOK JACKET.