'Vista' Name May Have Trademark Issues

The Seattle Times reported over the weekend that Microsoft might need to jump through some legal hurdles in order to keep the new name for its next generation operating system. The paper uncovered Saturday that a fellow Redmond-based company, Vista, Inc., owns the trademark to the name "Vista."

Vista specializes in e-business infrastructure applications for the small-to-medium enterprise market, and its CEO John Wall is not happy with Microsoft. Wall told the paper that his company is currently investigating whether or not the name violates trademark laws.

"We're going to consider our options and talk to them," Wall told the paper. Vista plans to at least raise the issue with Microsoft, and Wall said he could take the software maker to court if need be.

Microsoft chose the name to highlight the new features within the operating system. "At the end of the day, what you're after is a way to break through all the clutter to focus on what you want to focus on, what you need to do," a Microsoft spokesman told BetaNews.

"What you're trying to get to is your own personal Vista -- whether that is trying to organize photos, or trying to find a file or trying to connect and collaborate with a number of people electronically."

Microsoft says that it has received no trademark disputes over the Vista name as of this weekend. A spokesperson for the company explained that Microsoft had acknowledged several companies already use the term "vista" in some way, thus it applied for a trademark on the term "Windows Vista."

However, Wall argued to the Seattle Times that Vista has had to defend its trademark more than once, and Microsoft's decision just adds fuel to the fire. "It's further confusion to a confusing mark," he said.