I have been asked to clarify an earlier blog.
As was made clear within that post, I was invited to participate in a TEDx event. TEDx events are locally and independently organized and do not represent TED. I regret any misunderstanding.
I have been warned that I will be contacted by TED with a request to cease and desist. I have been asked to change my use of TED to TEDxSantaCruz. I have done so.
Now they’re sounding like every other “service” I’m trying to unsubscribe from!
O. M. G. Are they taking themselves too seriously, or what? (Please note that this comment is not associated with either TED, TEDx, or Ted Williams.)
I think TED is a bit touchy! I’ve seen too many TED parodies to take it seriously anymore. Regardless, I appreciate your clarification.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecgSlHdkMLA
Im so relieved to hear it wasn’t TED. I like their presentations and I saw one recently with a speaker holding and using some notes.
Yikes! TED Nazi’s!
Good god, that’s such an easy mistake to make. I hope your retraction satisfies them.
Once my husband and I had a chocolate shop that shared its name with a grocery some 250 miles away. After ten years or so of sharing amicably, we got a cease and desist letter from them: two weeks to change our name or they would sue us. Our lawyer wrote back saying we would do it, the law was on their side, but we needed time. Two days after the two weeks were up, a messenger showed up in the shop with the papers. They were suing us.. Fortunately, our insurance covered the cost of a good lawyer who negotiated a year for us to make the change, which we did, and in the end, came out with a better name. But the transition was very expensive in many ways; we almost didn’t survive. And, to buy the year’s time, we had to sign a non-disclosure agreement promising not to reveal the name of the massive corporation that had bought the grocery store and its name.
How well these heartless, capitalistic, competitive corporations play their role as the shadow of the collaborative, cooperative communities the times require.
I’m sorry you’re going through this.
Thanks for the clarification, but I think your reservations were well taken. The parody link provided by Rache is excellent.
It’s the lawyers (reinforced by the MBAs).
TED is a trademark. Under the (eighteenth-century-merchant-oriented) law of trademark, failure to be sufficiently aggressive in policying “misuses” of one’s mark can lead to its loss. And lawyers are nothing if not sufficiently aggressive… especially when backed up by “branding is everything!” MBAs.
In short, trademark law gives an excuse for people to behave like jerks. So, naturally, they do.
Good choice on time management. The upside to a TED talk would be minuscule compared to the time lost doing what you love doing.
This explains how TEDx is not TED.
https://youtu.be/d0NHOpeczUU