What is the trademark?

[k-nano]

Anybody know what Lifespan Brand's trademark is? I only ask because Paul, the CEO of the company that bought Lifespan Brands, claims I am using their trademarks. 

Here is the answer from their own website...

1. Trademarks

Trademarks must be guarded in order to be kept. A word, a phrase, a design, a configuration; anything which distinguishes that particular product from any other one in the market and puts ownership to it, can be trademarked.

Lifespan Brands LLC (“Lifespan Brands”) is the proud owner of many registered trademarks, some of which are LAVA, LAVA LITE, LAVA BRAND, THE WAVE, THE SHAPE OF COOL, and the configuration of the Lava lamp, its base and globe.

If you don't know about what I do, I invented the ferrofluid lava lamp. Ferrofluid is a magnetic liquid that makes the 'lava' react to a magnetic field (sorry but if I said wax it would obstruct clarity). This makes your lava lamp interactive. 

So how am I using any of their trademarks? I don't shape my products like their mark.

Do they own the word "lava lamp"? That's what this boils down to in my mind. They seem to think they do for some reason. Even though it's not one of the phrases they pay to protect.

Additionally, the word 'motion lamp' seems to be largely unused and misunderstood. In my experience the average person does not know the difference between a 'motion lamp' and a 'lava lamp'.

Most people will tell you that they know what a 'lava lamp' is. But, they will not be familiar with a 'motion lamp'. I believe there is a reason they never successfully trademarked the word LAVA LAMP. 

The answer is "LAVA LAMP" BELONGS TO PUBLIC DOMAIN. 

It is a word that is used so often and frequently for what was supposed to be called a 'motion lamp' that the general public began to forget what a 'motion lamp' is. This is just like the following words/phrases:

aspirin

cellophane

dry ice

escalator

flip phone

thermos 

trampoline

videotape

app

zipper

I'm not hating on the lava lamp. I love the lava lamp. I am trying to innovate the lava lamp and Lifespan Brands seems to not like that innovation.

I actually have a patent for this technology. However, instead of being questioned about my patent or how to work with me, Lifespan Brands is more interested in asking me to stop using their trademark. I find that infuriating because I am only trying to bring the lava lamp to the next level. 

[k-nano]

I'm not sure if UK laws allow for the same type of thing. I know you do have crazy high VAT, but apparently that's not enough to stop it. What are average prices for lava lamps over there? Lifespan vs Mathmos

[Johnny]

mathmos range from £60 - £95 lifespan / lava world lamps start from £9.99 to about £49.99 thats for the grande size

[k-nano]

Wow. So Lifespan is amazingly cheap and Mathmos is so pricey that my ferrofluid lava lamp is actually less expensive! That's interesting. 

[Johnny]

i wonder if there using the trademark / copyright claw is due to the lamp base etc your got the lava version on?  another concern and thou i think its amazing what youve done is the use of children with the magnets getting close to a hot glass bottle a bit risky :-/