VelOCRaptor

Western Digital makes a drive called "Velociraptor," which has the letter "i" in it like the dinosaur it is named after. This software omits the letter "i" to make a pun on what it does: OCR. Also, software for performing OCR is a very different market than hard drives, so there's no worry about confusion. I don't think WD will have anything to say about this software.

You may be correct but don't be surpassed if someday you get a nasty letter from WD's lawyers. Entrepreneurs have been sued for far less when it comes to trademark or copyright violation. Ever hear of the portable sanitation company that was sued by Johnny Carson when they tried to name their product "Here's Johnny." Johnny won by intimidation. Companies don't even have to prove it. All they have to do is file and get a court date. Large companies know that the people they sue simply can't afford to fight it. I wish you well but frankly I think you are dancing on dangerous ground here. Copyright Notice: "Dancing on Dangerous Ground" is a copyrighted title of a dance show created by Jean Butler and is used only to describe a frame of mind or concept. It is not intended to refer or connect with the show that is titled with the same name or the DVD produced and available for sale under this name. It is so easy to get into trouble these days, even with the mention of a casual expression.

First, just to clear something up - I have nothing to do with this product, just commenting on an intellectual property issue that I find interesting. So, I'm unlikely to get a nasty letter from WD's lawyers. You're certainly right that large corporations have often sued people without legitimate grounds. That doesn't mean it always happens. Here, not only is the product name in a different market, it isn't even the same name. Also, the word "velociraptor" is not unique to Western Digital, but is rather a name for a dinosaur made popular in the movie "Jurassic Park." You'll notice that the owners of the movie "Jurassic Park" have not sued Western Digital. So, while I understand that some random corporation may frivolously send threatening letters to people who have not infringed in any way upon their intellectual property, it isn't certain. Also, if people going about their lives always took into consideration that someone may sue them for no good reason, no one could ever do anything. What is usually done is an analysis of the likelihood that you have actually infringed upon someone's intellectual property, and then evaluating the likelihood that they will bother to sue you. Here, the likelihood of both seems fairly low. Also, your "copyright notice" disclaimer seems amazingly unnecessary. People use puns all the time based on names of popular music/movies/etc without having to apologize. Due to the extensive nature of our entertainment media, if one had to publish a disclaimer every time one uttered a phrase that happened to have come from, or been the title of, a movie or song, we would be unable to communicate. I think your closing paragraph is a great example of the craziness that would result if we all were as worried as you seem to propose. There are a few useful concepts in intellectual property law: fair use, de minimis use, and so on. Good thing, or we would have to abolish all intellectual property for our society to survive.