Subway and their 'Footlongs', patents on a food term... Options

[Ixith]

So some of you, probably not those who live in areas which don't have Subway resteraunts, may have heard this news Subway is trademarking/patenting the term 'Footlong' on all sandwich subs. Now of course there are many hotdog places but they did back pedal and say only on sandwiches and that hot dog footlongs are fine. HOWEVER, there are still many smaller businesses that call their larger sandwich items as a footlong and IMO for a single food company to try to trademark/patent a commonly used term such as that is just retarded. I can see how it would perhaps lock in business for them so in business since it might not be, but overall i think it is. Especially since Subway's 'footlong' subs are hardly even a footlong. In fact i'd say most are under a 12 inches if not under 11 inches.

I know i personally think it's beyond stupid and will the next time i eat there order a Footlong sub and then measure it with a measuring tape to make sure it's a footlong and if it isn't complain. And I hope some lawyer or official involved in the case does similar and uses it to denounce their wants on the trademark/patent. But seriously to trademark/patent a commonly used term by lots of small local owned restaurants and other things is just stupid. It'll probably lead to crap like Apple is going through with Kodak, HTC, and Nokia in which one says 'You're violating our patent!' and the other says 'NO U!' and on and on with tiny loopholes that have to get battled in court and waste time on. Besides that it'll go further with other places trying to do the same with terms like 'Coneys' or worse...Cheeseburgers, Fries, or Pizza. I can just see it now...a world with Gold Star Chili owning the rights to use the term 'Coney', Mcdonalds with 'Cheeseburgers and Fries', and Dominos with 'Pizza' and all the small really good restaurants have to use some codified special names they can think of for them essentially that product.

So I just wanted to hear other people's opinion about this.

[DoomToHel]

I know everyone should have their own opinion, but i was thinking the same as you.

[ORCACommander]

i am pretty sure since the Bam! being trademarked by emeral that words and terms in common usage could not be trade marked or copyrighted.