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Top 10 Stories of 2011: #6 Speculating on the next Kindle to be released by Amazon

Kindle

When Amazon began slashing prices on its refurbished Kindle 3 models, tech sites began speculating that Amazon would release a new Kindle.  That’s when I started paying more attention to Kindle related domain names, as I quickly found out readers eat this type of news up.

My first big story days after speculation started in August, was Amazon acquiring KindleAir.com via MarkMonitor after the domain name had expired.  Engadget, PC Magazine and other tech sites ran with the story as well.

But it wasn’t this story that made the Top 10 in 2011…

The number six story in the Top 10 Stories of 2011 here on Fusible was predicting that Amazon’s next Kindle would be named after one of the elements.  And my prediction was right, as Amazon finally settled on the element of fire with its Kindle Fire

Unlike other stories, this one took a little more sleuthing.

As I wrote back then, KindleAir.com was the first hint, but I discovered that Amazon had also secretly acquired the domain names KindleEarth.com KindleWater.com on July 6, 2011.  Both were registered at Go Daddy and hidden behind its privacy service Domains by Proxy, but it was simple to reveal Amazon as the owner by using Go Daddy’s public Account Retrieval System, which in June finally addressed other privacy issues with the tool.

While I had correctly guessed the next Kindle would be named after an element, I hadn’t included “Fire” in the list.  Though I considered including it, Amazon hadn’t owned Kindle Fire just yet. 

Many of my top stories over the past six months dealt with what Amazon’s next Kindle might be, but most never panned out.   Names like the Kindle Ice and the Kindle Scribe, which even caught the attention of Time and other publications, have yet to materialize.   

Other stories that grabbed attention included Amazon possibly spinning off its Kindle line into a separate company called Seesaw (which went on to get a Techmeme headline) and even Amazon’s massive buying spree of 500 Kindle and Silk related domains, which hinted that a 3G Kindle Fire would be launched. 

(Image of Kindle Fire and Kindle DX Graphite via Amazon.com)

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

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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