OPEN SOURCE MEDIA

That's the new name for Pajamas Media... at least according to this article sent to us by one of LINGERE Media's citizen journalists.

Web site to blend journalism with blogs

NEW YORK -- A media Web site scheduled to debut Wednesday will seek to blend traditional journalism with the freeform commentary developed through the emerging Web format known as blogs.

Some 70 Web journalists, including Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds and David Corn, Washington editor of the Nation magazine, have agreed to participate in OSM - short for Open Source Media.

OSM will link to individual blog postings and highlight the best contributions, chosen by OSM editors, in a special section. Bloggers will be paid undisclosed sums based on traffic they generate.

The ad-supported OSM site will also carry news feeds from Newstex, which in turn receives stories from The Associated Press, Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service and other traditional media organizations.

"We're deliberately trying to do something new by affiliating blog and mainstream people," said Roger L. Simon, a blogger and the venture's co-founder.

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, about 9 percent of adult Internet users in the United States have created their own blogs, and about 25 percent read them. The audience tends to be more influential: blog postings can affect what news organizations cover or politicians discuss.

Many details of OSM remain unsettled. For example, OSM wants to create a mechanism for citizen journalists, including bloggers, to submit original news during natural disasters, civil unrest and other newsworthy events. Simon said organizers still have to come up with ways to check submissions for accuracy.

Initially, OSM will create blog-like discussion panels surrounding major news events, with three or four bloggers and non-blogging experts chosen to contribute.

Although Simon and co-founder Charles Johnson are often described as conservative, Simon said the site will transcend labels and include bloggers of all political leanings.

OSM was founded last year as Pajamas Media, a play on bloggers' ability to opine from home at all hours, day or night. It has raised $3.5 million from venture capitalists.

Well, evidently Pajamas... er, Open Source Media sent out its press releases a bit early and/or without a release date of Wednesday the 16th. Duh.

Good job, guys. You're consistent, if nothing else.

That which is highlighted in bold above struck me as bizarre, stupid or both:

So the definition of "New Media" is blending "traditional journalism with the freeform commentary developed through... blogs"?

You're kidding me.

That isn't New Media, it's Huffington Post. Powered By Google Ads Huffington Post.

My personal favorite: "Many details of OSM remain unsettled."

Really? I'd have never guessed!

Anyway, tell me all about those unsettled details.

Oh?

Things like coming up "with ways to check submissions for accuracy".

Uh huh...

Details...

Comments

[David N. Scott]

Hey, it's a good thing that you keep this stuff up. I think I'll ask my webmistress to kindly add you to the blogroll, for what it's worth...

Thanks for getting this stuff out there, though.

[PeterUK]

Dennis,WTF,You had Open Crotch Media yonks ago.

[Eric Blair]

Heh. OCM. I like that.

[richard mcenroe]

Are they going to try to trademark "Open Source"?

[jgm]

It's up on Drudge, too. Has Glenn Reynolds really not said a word about this or did I just miss it?

[jgm]

Oh, and did you see this in NRO today?

[steve young]

Open Sores Media. I love it!

[mistermark]

According to Atrios/Eschaton, Open Source Media may already be trademarked by Chris Lydon in Boston. If that is true, some of the money raised by Simon and friends may quickly be going to their attorneys.

Here is the link (sorry, I don't know how to do the embedded hyperlink thingy):
http://atrios.blogspot.com/2005_11_13_atrios_archive.html#113208901936102880

[Steven Den Beste]

I think this may be the first time in history that I actually enjoyed following a link to a post by Atrios.

Didn't anyone at PJM bother with a trademark search before they announced their new name?

[Seth Finkelstein]

Chris Lydon has a "service mark" for "Open Source". It's serial number 78582544 , look it up on http://www.uspto.gov/

Word Mark OPEN SOURCE
Goods and Services IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, a continuing series of audio programs about current events and culture via radio and global computer networks. FIRST USE: 20050428. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20050428
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Design Search Code
Serial Number 78582544
Filing Date March 8, 2005
Current Filing Basis 1B
Original Filing Basis 1B
Owner (APPLICANT) Lydon McGrath, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 7 Webster Road Milton MASSACHUSETTS 02186
Attorney of Record Michael Melford
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

[Seth Finkelstein]

Ah, here'a link with more details, it's in-process

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78582544

[richard mcenroe]

Sweet Jesus, I thought I was asking a rhetorical question.

Three and a half million dollars and they couldn't spend seventy-five bucks for a trademark application?

[Steven Den Beste]

It turns out that their trademark is "OSM". The logo uses "Open Source Media" as a motto beneath that. You can see it at the top of this page.

There's no way that this is not infringement of Lydon's trademark. It's much too similar, and they're competing in exactly the same market with essentially the same kind of product.

[BTD Venkat]

It's at least close enough that it could cost them a gang of money to resolve.

[Steven Den Beste]

This seems to be Charles/Roger's registration.

I wonder if they assumed that the USPTO did an infringement search automatically, and assumed that USPTO wouldn't grant them the trademark if it did infringe someone else?

That isn't how it works. Defense of a trademark is up to the person who owns it, and if they don't defend it they lose it. That's why it's very likely that Roger and Charles are going to be hearing from Lydon's lawyer as soon as Lydon himself hears about this.

[BTD Venkat]

The USPTO does conduct an infringement search and usually catches potentially conflicting marks. (An application takes a while to cycle through and OSM's application isn't even in process.) When presented with a conflicting registration or even a pending application the applicant has an opportunity to explain away the conflict. The Examining Attorney then makes the call and either issues the mark or rejects it.

You're right, Lydon's lawyer will be touching base with OSM soon I'm sure.

[Seth Finkelstein]

Steven: The links to the full records are only session links, they expire after a few minutes.

The OSM application status link should work, though the server is acting badly now:

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78738751

[Elmo]

I said I'd be somewhat unhappy if this laugh train ran out of steam. Today was frozen faced incredulity.

Tomorrow?

I do know here, in the state of California, they have a law. It is illegal to slow your car down, to gawk at an accident.

[Fugler]

Someone is definately reading this blog. Notice how the Editorial board has suddenly morphed into the 'advisory' board?

How come the blogs aren't the main attraction on OSM?

How come if they're the 'new media' they're relying on AP for a headline feed?

Where's the news?

Anybody else think that the Huffington Post (ignore they're pretentiousness) promotes they're writers better on the front page?

Where Chuckie and Rog on the 'advisory' board?

Why does the site look like a pharmaceuticals company website?

Click on the American News section and marvel at not very much in the way of a, American and b, news.

This is a joke, no?

[Fugler]

PS

What's in logo?

http://lgfwatch.blogspot.com/2005/11/whats-in-logo.html

[John Morgan]

Hey Fugler, there's a word in the English language you ought to become acquainted with: "their." Twice in the same sentence you used "they're" when you should have used "their."

[Fugler]

Why thank you for your correction. English maybe your first language but it isn't mine....I still make small mistakes like that one.

[Dan]

Fugler,

Actually John paid you a compliment. Your English is so good he never even suspected it could be your second language. Nor did I. Hope you keep commenting.