JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum We're All in This Together?

I see the phrase "We're All In This Together"
at the top of the page has the "TM", is it a registered trademark?
Does that mean a person has to get permission to use it?

I just seen a video on GAC by Sheila E. The title of the song is "We're All In This Together".

Just wondering.

Titles aren't protectable nor subject to infringements except in very specific circumstances. We own the trademark to "Just Plain Folks" but there are some uses that we can't stop including titles. There's a song by the Disney kids also called "We're All In This Together" as well as our own theme song written back in 2002.

Brian

There's also a Coke ad out this way with the same tag line. Now there's a thought for a sponsor.......

cheers, niteshift

Actually Diet Coke would be a perfect sponsor for us. I drink more Diet Coke than some small nations. We've just never had a good contact there.

Brian

Let me have a dig, I'll get back to you tomorrow.....

cheers, niteshift

Bill, although it has the TM beside it, and that carries some common law rights, I do not believe it has been registered. That would allow Brian to add a little "R" inside a circle, much like the copyright sign has a "C" in it...

That tag line has been used by political campaigns as well....so I think it would be hard to get it "broadly trade marked", meaning that Brian could definitely register and protect its use for an on line music community, and perhaps even an on line community in general....

But beyond that, wide protection against infringement would be impossible I would think. In fact, should Brian try to register it, seems to me he'll run into a lot of opposition unless he narrows the "market" for which he is wanting protection.

As I own some trade marks, (a tag line can be registered as a trade mark) here's a funny story...from personal experience.

I was in the process of registering a trade mark, and ran into some opposition, but I was convinced I could use it because not only were they (the "opponents" as they are called here) in a different market, the trade mark is "weak" to begin with.

(Weak" is a term used to describe how original a phrase is. For example, it is unlikely you'll ever get a trad mark for coca cola cars, or xerox diapers, or kleenex burgers...because the name is so strongly associated with one product, and the words are "made up".....BTW, the entire concept of trade marks is based on the concept of "passing off" one product for another....causing "confusion in the minds of a consumer" that will have them think they are buying one thing, but really getting another...McDonald's Hamburgers and McDonald's Deli springs to mind...)

In any event, they dropped their opposition when I sent them a photo copy of about 4 pages of our local phone book that had businesses ...in their broad market space...with their key word in it...

Lesson?

For a trade mark\tag line to be effective, the word\phrase should be unique (which is why you see so many made up words like Xerox, Kleenex etc), and when it is registered, it should clearly, but not "over broadly", define the market for which you (intend to) use it.

So, for example, there MAY be nothing wrong with, say Ford, "stealing", ... "just slightly ahead of our time" which was used by Panasonic for consumer electronics...and using it for cars...or taking the slogan "the quality goes in before the name goes on" from (was it??) RCA televisions.

What he said...

But we do own the actual trademark to "Just Plain Folks" which I am still shocked by. And according to my attorney (Stu Shapiro, who answers questions here on the boards) I can likely enforce it pretty broadly if there's any chance of confusion with what we do.

Brian

Yes, and I would think that, like in Canada, you would own "Just Plain Folks" , the funny little hat guy, the trade style etc, even if it is not registered....like copyright law, it is legally "perfected" when registered...providing prima facie evidence of ownership if challenged.

Oh man, Brian, get off the diet coke. That sh## is poison!

Brian, among MANY such testimonials, along with my doctor once making a face when I asked about diet coke and Pepsi, here's one other guy's info:

http://www.mcmanweb.com/diet_coke.html

My sister is always sick and with many things, and she too drinks it like you. Hard headed sister!

Well.. of all vices that seems to be the least. No booze. No smoking. No drugs. No sugar. Very little junkfood. A strict calorie county diet regimine. 30 minutes vigorous excercise 6 days a week. And lots of diet sodas (not just diet coke.. also root beer and diet snapple tea).

I actually drink less than I used to. But it's been around for 26 years and you'd think if there's was a provable health risk all sorts of activists would be all over it to have it banned like they do everything else. And just recently (like last week) a big study came out saying that drinking plain water is no better for you than drinking any other liquid with water in it (like tea or diet soda etc..). They also recently said that calories are calories meaning as long as you keep under the right number, you'll lose weight, meaning ANY diet works that keeps you under that calorie count.. the All Meat diet or the All Veggie diet have the same end result in terms of weight loss.

Playing out in clubs where you breathed in 1000 cigarettes while performing was hazardous. Overeating and getting fat like me is hazardous. On the risk-o-meter diet coke is not in the top tier.

Brian

YOu have misinformation.

Just like it took long for the tobacco companies to be yelled at, (and those killers are STILL being sold, as is booze, (Killer).

BIG mistake to take diet anything lightly. Really. There are tons of info on this already. It really IS a toxic drink. BUT, with Coke's money behind certain things, it, like smokes and booze, are still on the shelfs.

Filtered water is all we need or fluids. Do occasional teas for flavor and some benefits form certain teas.

If I didn't do a lot of learning about this for YEARS, because of my stubborn sister, I wouldn't be as pushy. She is a walking test result from it.

And, there are foods of same calories that have different effects on how the body then transforms those seemingly alike foods into sugar, for example, which does have an effect on all kinds of things, including fat storage. YOu are right up to a certian point, but it doesn't always add up in the end to be the same result.

Certain foods stimulates metabolism, while others can bog it down, (with same calories).

Read your label oin the Diet Coke or other Diet drinks. If you have to be chemist to understand exactly what you're putting through your fragile system, switch to filtered water/


Careingly said,
John

Here's the Australian Coke summer advert featuring "We're all in this together" by Ben Lee...

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/coca-cola-summer-in-this-together/

and lyrics/mp3 download, down the page......

http://christinayy.blogspot.com/2008/12/coca-cola-summer-ad-were-all-in-this.html

Dang, why are all the good ideas already taken ? Trudging back to the drawing board......

cheers, niteshift

No. Wait....

We download the video, replace it with the JPF theme song, and fire it off to Coke's advertisering agency for the US summer release. They accept it, and then hit em up for the sync fees as sponsorship. Easy huh ?

cheers, niteshift

Brian, I thought best to give you what Dr. Weil says about the additive in some diet drinks, to counter my one sided take on the worse I read before about it. Here's the better info, from someone that knows more than us:

Dr. Weil says:

Like most artificial sweeteners, aspartame has a peculiar taste. I have seen a number of patients - mostly women - who report headaches from using it, and some women also find that aspartame aggravates PMS. This compound is suspected of being an "excitotoxin," a compound that can damage nerve cells by overstimulating them. I would warn anyone with a neurological disease to avoid it. At the same time, I've seen no scientific support for assertions on the Internet that there is an "aspartame disease" or that it worsens symptoms of multiple sclerosis, lupus, and fibromyalgia. Indeed, the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation has published a letter on its Internet site refuting the notion that aspartame provokes or worsens MS.

We do know that people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), those with advanced liver disease, and pregnant women with high levels of the amino acid phenylalanine in their blood have a problem with aspartame because they do not effectively metabolize phenylalanine, one of aspartame's components. High levels of phenylalanine in body fluids can cause brain damage. For this reason, the FDA requires that all products containing aspartame must include a warning.

For every one else, although available evidence suggests that occasional use of aspartame presents no great risk, I would however recommend following the precautionary principle. In other words, don't use it.


Best of Health To You
Moderator/Dr.Weil Team
moderator44@drweil.com

Diet products are evil because they trick people into consuming more calories, not less. The theory is that you reduce your calorie intake by swapping one regular for a diet coke, but in practice most people drink more of the diet stuff than they would the regular. Higher consumption means the Coca Cola company gets more money and you gain weight - everybody wins!

(lets not even mention higher margins on diet products, because those chemicals are cheaper to produce than actual sugar)

Guess the Coke sponsor is out then huh ?

cheers, niteshift

Jim,

If there's zero calories in Diet Coke, how do I gain weight by drinking more of it?

I find that having a zero calorie drink allows me to avoid having any extra calories between meals and it placates the urge to be putting chips or other snacks into my mouth while watching a movie or TV show or sitting at the computer for hours on end. So I don't really know how it is causing me to gain more weight? Without anything to drink (other than water) with no calories, I'd just be paying these same companies MORE money (since bottled water often costs as much as soft drinks and costs them even less to produce) to drink their bottled water. The tap water in the last 4 places I have lived is not drinkable and having plain water would likely make me want something in addition to it, like snack foods.

Brian

I highly doubt the zero calories claim (they certainly do not make that claim on this end of the pond), but if it's true then diet coke may be the exception to the rule.

Of course, in the end you're in the best position to decide what does and does not work for you.

Happens for some people and not others, (in controlled tests).
For starters, it's a confusing message to the brain. "Artificial sweeteners are not something found in nature (hence called “artificial”) and the body is getting mixed signals on what it is consuming. They can have a negative effect on the adrenal glands which also support the thyroid (healthy metabolism)….as the body’s metabolic system is a very complex one of checks and balances. With a compromised thyroid comes even more weight gain down the road…and pretty soon you are in a state where weight loss is going to be very hard unless you correct the imbalances in your adrenal glands and thyroid (which means allowing them to heal and regain normal function while also reversing the insulin resistance you have created)".

Zero calories of course will not add weight, but with the artificial sweeteners, which is what this is all about, it can change metabolic behavior, (depending on YOUR brain chemistry and all other system factors). The brain is getting nothing with something. It goes, HUH? What do I do with this stuff? Water , being 0 calories, is known by the brain exactly what to do with it! But not anything with taste and especially not with tastes of sweetness.

My brain anyway, is confused enough, not to add in chemicals like that to have to deal with it chemically, and though the adrenal organs! Yikes! Have that stuff maybe once a week, (one can). Call it a week!

Just think about it. If it's too good to be true, (Zero calories for no weight gain), what do you think usually follows such sayings?

I got it! Drink a Diet Coke on any day that a D (for Diet), or a C, (yep!) starts the name of that day!

You must love us!!!! LOL

Great to hear you are doing wonderful things to help get your health in better condition. I know you have been having serious battles over the last few years.

Continued better health to ya!

John

Brian,

Johns right that stuff is a slow quiet killer! Much like tobacco! Stay away from it...drink selter water with flavoring, get a filter for your tap water and the water will taste great...(cheaper than one month of dt coke)....Look at the calories in sugar 15 calories per teasoon, make homemade tea add your own sugar...The calorie is relatively low...works within those extra calories allowed per day. Same thing for lemonade.

Good luck...this is a hard addiction to break.

Oh Brian, there is an added plus...not that you want to hear it but.....not buying soda cans means less waste in landfills and filtering your tap water means less plastic bottles....
yeah for earths resources and environment...!!

JD sed: "... it's a confusing message to the brain, (0 calories), when the taste buds got something, which give pre digestive signals to the brain to prepare to handle sugar, calories."

Huh? You mean anything we eat that doesn't have calories confuses the brain? That doesn't sound right, doctor. Do you any data to back that up? I'm not smart enough to debate the topic, just curious how that could be true...

I got the two factors of 1. artificial sweeteners and 2. 0 calories mixed up. Corrected it in my post. Thanks!

Artificial sweeteners are safe and there's no calorie on it. They said it causes cancer on mice in experimental studies but in human to cause cancer you have to consume half kilograms of it per day to produce cell mutations in your body.

I advice my diabetic patients to drink a lot of this plus calorie restrictions. Carbohydrates is really the culprit why certain people gaind weight. Carbohydrates can turn into fat and cholesterol when you consume a lot of it. Small amount of Artificial sugars Brian is taking everyday coming from his diet coke are not enough to produce energy for his body. It became a building block for his needed protein for his muscles or for his immune system.

Articles about the toxic effects of artificial sweeteners are lobbied by the sugar industry because they are hurt with the increase consumption of the whole world of this cheap chemicals.

Can you imagine 1 kilogram of this "aspartame" is equal to 180kgs of unprocessed or the dirty sugar. They will be hurt in the future if the whole people of this planet use it just to overcome the prehistoric needs of the brain to consume sugar.

The processed one that we saw in the supermarket the white one that has several chemicals on it.

There are tons of conspiracy theories about it. This is similar on how the corn and palm oil industry destroyed our coconut oil industry.

WE all in this together... Brian take more it especially when your down and out. The caffeine can boost your energy and burn extra fat from your body.

Lynman

Its funny Lynman, as far as I can tell the sugar industry also processes the artificial stuff, sooo, they would be one and the same...hmmmm..conspiracy no I don't think that....not telling the public the whole truth so the corp's can make more money, that I believe.

Maybe it is different where you live...

Well.. Lynman is the only person in this discussion to have gone to medical school and become a doctor. So I think he may trump the others. When I see overweight people drinking regular sugared sodas I am dumbfounded. I can see having a problem eating too much.. but if you're going to drink, you can easily switch to any number of diet drink options and save yourself gigantic amounts of empty calories and still feed that compulsion to drink and drink and drink.

Ah well.. we all have problems and things we do that are bad for our health. I can say that I've made significant improvements this calendar year with excercise and calorie restrictions. I've even actually diversified what I drink (different types of diet sodas with and without caffeine, various teas and flavored water without any artificial sweeteners). I am on Day 63 of this and have only fallen short of some part of my process 5 days of that time and 3 of them were because I had pneumonia and couldn't excercise.

I think my new process of writing down every single bit of food I eat all day every day has been an amazing learning experience... and the pressure of not going over and having to write it down is very effective. It's like the book is giving me peer pressure to do the right thing. I highly recommend it.

Brian

Poor Brian. He does so much good, has no vices except diet coke and he has to read this sh##. I used to buy a BIG GULP of coke everyday, working out in the hot sun installing siding. ( You know, bang on drums, why not bang on walls all day ) Anyway, I was gaining weight so I bought a diet coke big gulp. Took one taste and my brain said get rid of it. I threw it out. Next day I mixed regular coke with diet coke and it wasn't so bad. But, the most disturbing thing was the ants were all over my regular coke and had nothing to do with the diet or hybrid coke! And ants will eat just about anything! Oh well, just my 2 cents worth.
dadum, it's natures way, it's natures way. It's natures way of telling you. Somethings wrong.

I wonder how words get noterized for the dictionary?

I have referred to loose gals as a tulsa because of how it is spelled backwards.
That sounds less slicing.
I would think someone would have had to think of that one already.
But a lot of these odd, loose terms find there way in the dictionary somehow.

But I would like tulsa to be in together here too.

Trumps even Dr. Weil! Pretty good!

Kathy

I dont think the main player in the sugar industry is in touch with the nutrasweet the inventor of aspartame.
Actually I remember my pharmacology how this guy who invented this chemical. He testing this for patient with ulcer. But later he found out other application on it. And this guy invented a hit song so to speak.

Actually in the future sugar can be used to produce alcohol as an alternative fuel or this can be used to feed fattening cows so we can get more juicy and sugary taste steak LOL..

Brian

Goodluck with your calorie restrictions. To avoid the withdrawal symptoms in carbohydrate try to feast your self with carbohydrates at least once a month.

lynman

I don't like colas, especially the diet drinks, of all kinds, I get an after taste. Sugar is natural, so I trust it more than something artificial created by man. I drink mostly filtered water and fruit juice, some tea, never coffee. I try to steer clear of margarine, prefer real butter. When man fools around with food, it is either to make more profit or get people hooked on it to buy more, not for our health. Food, as God gave it to us is best, when man processes it, he takes out the good things and adds the bad and addicting things.

As in anything, moderation of course. But yeah, I would think chemicals have to be dealt with by the liver, (at least), and being certain chemicals, could interfere with brain function, (possibly aiding in the making of certain destructive proteins that interfere with neurons and synopses?. (?- Lynman?

Doesn't the brain need Carbs to run more efficiently than if not? Thanks Lynman, for your educated time in all this.

John

Hi Brian & Doc & All!

Just heard on TV News last night that having 2 drinks (of an alcoholic beverage..like BEER!) a day's been shown to prevent Alzheimer's Disease...So ya might wanna increase your Beer Consumption..in spite of the Calories Consumed!

More Details when I gets 'em, & here's To Ya!

Big Guys-Hug,
Stan

The old rusty nail in the bottom of a glass of Coke science experiment should be enough to send up a red flag or two.

Sorry guys im off topic here but I have to because I need to share this.

John. YOu are right, our brain needs more carbs than any other part of our body and this is the smartest organ. There are lot of sources of energy in our body that can be converted into carbs. SAy for example your extra fat in your belly. That can be converted into carbs too. Also some extra unused protein can be converted into amino acids and later it can turn to carbs for your brain use.

Thats why if you really on the diet cut the carbs. If you cut the carbs your body especially your brain the "carbs addict" will look for other sources. WE call it in biochemistry- Gluco neo genesis, or in laymans term making new sugar.


The possibility of this chemical to be inserted in the protein synthesis and cause problem in the future will not happen. Based on the chemical structures of this synthetic sugar is similar to the needed amino acids to build protein. This only happens in mad cow disease. (its a long story)

Isolating this chemical that will produce cancer is unfair. There are so many chemicals that we are exposed to. The air that we breath has a lot of it and in fact we are breathing 24 hours a day inhaling dust, dirt especially cancerous pollutants.

HOpe this will help you to convince you that artificial sugar is really safe and you should start to take now instead of the real sugar.

Lynman

Stan

I worked in local brewery before as their plant physician and I saw the ingredients of beer. All carbohydrates.... Not good. I rather have alzheimer than diabetes LOL. I think caffeine is good for alzheimer and stimulant too. So when your down go and hit starbucks with artificial sugar LOL
Lynman

Wow.. Lynman throws down the Doctor stuff pretty well! = ) Very impressive! Nice to actually have someone who knows what they are talking about in a discussion. It's sort of like when I step into a discussion about the music industry when those discussing it have no real clue and are simply taking bits and pieces of news reports and trying to come to a conclusion not really supported by fact. Lynman actually knows what he's talking about since he's actually a Doctor. = )

As for the Ant/Diet Coke story, of COURSE the ants don't care about diet coke. It has no sugar in it. How obvious can it be? They also would have no interest in water. If I pee'd on the ground, however, they'd LOVE it. Because I always have sugar present. So, using your logic John, it should be fine for you to drink my urine, but not diet coke because Ant's don't want that?

= )

Brian

Brian

Of course we're all in this together and JPF spirit lives in me.

Lynman

Brian, I never did get a final answer from quite some time back.... who do I need to get permission from to play the JPF song on the show? Thank you muches.