Justin Simoni Announces New Name For Mailing List Manager, Turns Programming Project into Art
( text version )
Denver,
CO - 12/01/03 - Justin Simoni announced today the immediate release
of Dada Mail, (formerly Mojo Mail). Justin states, "I have had to change the
name of my celebrated program due to legal issues with Mediaplex Inc. which
holds the trademark for MOJO Mail."
He continues, "Not that I'm real happy about the name change at all. This particular program came out initially in December of 1999, with its first stable release in January of 2000. I'm having a really hard time understanding why it took Mediaplex Inc. more than three years to get in contact with me."
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website ( http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76154709 ), the "MOJO MAIL" mark was registered to Mediaplex Inc. on November 12th, 2002.
"This is obviously big guy versus little guy and this particular David doesn't see much reason in pursuing the matter in the legal system." Instead, Justin has complied with Mediaplex's demands to change the name of his program. "The decision to comply was simple: Mediaplex has lawyers, I sleep on a borrowed couch in a basement apartment. It's a red velvet couch - but still."
More importantly, Justin has also officially turned Dada Mail into an Art Object, much like the original Readymades of Marcel Duchamp - one of the founders of the Dada anti-art movement of the early 20th Century. "Dada Mail" itself is a nod to this original (anti) art movement and an example that a Readymade can still have relevance as long as the object has conceptual ground to stand on.
"From this day forth, Dada Mail will be the title of an Art Object, not the name of a computer program. You cannot, as far as I know, Trademark the title of a piece of Art. I have credentials as an artist and absolutely none as a businessman or a software engineer. I was an eighteen-year-old punk kid with green hair when I started working on this project. If I've learned anything since then, it's that you can accomplish whatever you try. I'm changing the definition of something that seemed to be fairly obvious. I hope it at least makes people think. I can't believe more people haven't done the same in light of recent Trademark and Patent disputes in the industry."
"Maybe they will."
Dada Mail is Free Software released under the GNU Public License.
Justin currently attends the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver as a Junior in their Painting and Drawing Bachelors program. A self-appointed Renaissance man, he strives to be able to make anything out of anything.
Press Contact:
Justin Simoni
(720) 436 7701
contact@justinsimoni.com
NOTE TO EDITORS:
For additional information visit the Dada Mail project website ( http://skazat.com/dadaproject
) and Justin Simoni's Portfolio website ( http://justinsimoni.com
)
Mediaplex and MOJO Mail are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Mediaplex Inc.