Categories
News Trademarks

Amazon spin-off still in the works? New trademarks filed for Fire under Seesaw

Seesaw 'Fire' trademark filing

Back in early October, I wrote about Amazon filing several trademark applications for the Kindle Fire and Amazon Silk with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Only, instead of using its own company name, Amazon filed the trademarks using the name Seesaw LLC.

I speculated that perhaps Amazon had plans to spin-off its mobile products into a separate business. 

Though Amazon never officially commented on the article or the stories that followed, reactions from many said Seesaw was nothing more than a ‘trademark holding company’ strategy by Amazon.

While it seems more likely that Seesaw is nothing more than a trademark holding company for Amazon’s Fire and Silk trademarks, Amazon has nonetheless filed three more applications, this time for the word ‘Fire’ with the USPTO – Serial numbers 85462286, 85462262, and 85462244.

The latest filings cover a wide range of goods and services including:  Portable and handheld electronic devices, printed publications, retail store services, on-line retail store services, handheld unit for playing electronic games, social networking services and much more.

Discussion: Ubergizmo

Categories
News

Amazon spins off Kindle Fire products into separate company called Seesaw?

Seesaw LLC

Amazon appears to be spinning off its Kindle Fire business under a separate new company called Seesaw.

According to recent trademark filings for the Kindle Fire and Amazon Silk with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the applicant behind each application isn’t Amazon, it’s Seesaw LLC. 

All five trademarks were filed by Seesaw LLC and the attorney of record listed on each application is the same attorney as many of Amazon’s own filings:  Purvi J. Patel of Haynes and Booone, LLP.

While Amazon has made no public statement about this apparent spin-off, one can imagine if it really is the case of a separate company, it is so Amazon can make the necessary investments into its Kindle Fire and other mobile products that may be developed under Seesaw LLC.

There are currently five trademark applications by Seesaw LLC, all filed at the end of September with the USPTO.

AMAZON SILK Serial Number: 85435365
AMAZON SILK Serial Number: 85435357
KINDLE FIRE Serial Number: 85434021
KINDLE FIRE Serial Number: 85433969
KINDLE FIRE Serial Number: 85433968

[Update 1, October 8, 2011 1:03PM EST:  As CNN tech writer @MarkMilian points out in a tweet, “Amazon getting trademarks under a holding co. does not mean it’s splitting. Magic Trackpad registered to Slate Computing.”] 

Discussion: Techmeme, @matteoca, @davezatz, 9to5Google, @stevecheney, AndroidOS.in, Electronista, Y Combinator, TechnoBuffalo, The Digital Reader, VentureBeat, Gizmodo, GeekosystemChron.com, Business Insider, Geeky Gadgets, gizmodo.de, ITProPortal and Softpedia News