Microsoft demands company take 'Excel' out of its name
eWeek | at | by Mike
Microsoft Corp. is demanding that a small company change the name of a computer program because it contains the word "Excel"-the title of the software giant's own popular spreadsheet program.
Richard Tanenbaum, founder of Savvysoft Inc., said the company researched the name before selecting TurboExcel for its add-on program for Microsoft Excel. He said the search turned up no evidence that Microsoft had registered "Excel" as a trademark.
The Excel spreadsheet software has been on the market since September 1985, and trademark rights in some countries, including the United States, can be claimed even without an official registration.