Quote Originally Posted by FFN
Generally, "common word" is a very VERY simplified explanation. An explanation from the lawyer is "cluttered market". Some words are used in so many different fields so it's hard to just claim them as trademarks in the "toys" field.

What I gather from this is that some words are just used *too* widely to be easily trademarked, while other words aren't. But... with trademark law there are no easy answers for us layman to understand.

Walky once said with trademark law there is no "1 and 1 equals 2". It's more like "1 and 1 equals 2.7".
As I understand it there are different trademark laws for different fields and areas, in this case, toy trademarks. So not being able to use the name "Bombshell" means that someone has acquired that name for a toyline. That's my current understanding of it anyway. *shrug*

Quote Originally Posted by FFN
I'll try to get an answer for this too. According to Hasbro, they had planned him as Octane, but ended up having to call him Tankor. They even hint his original name in his bio.

It is unlikely that Hasbro ditched Octane to protect Tankor as some have suggested, because if they wanted to protect that trademark they could just have easily slapped it on any other toy rather than knowingly give a toy the wrong name. Basically, there must have been some problem that prevented them from calling him some form of Octane.
Hasbro calls a flat-bed military truck "Mega-Octane" and a toy based on G1 Octane "Tankor." :/ IMO it should've been the other way around... the name "Tankor" would've been much better for the RiD version of Dolrailer (because "Mega-Octane" just didn't make sense for that toy considering his alt mode) and "Mega-Octane" would've suited Universe Tankor. Had they called it "Mega-Octane" I probably would've bought the Hasbro version, but I've decided to boycott it based on the naming thing... I personally don't care about the chrome thing on that toy but I refuse to buy a toy that's meant to be Octane but called something completely different. Even if they called it "Oktane" or "Octotane" ... something attempting to preserve the Octane name in some fashion. :/ Or heck, use his Japanese name and call him "Octone" (like what they did with Alternators and used Jazz's Japanese name (Meister)).

That's why I can forgive Hardshell, by at least maintaining the "shell" suffix they are preserving at least half of Bombshell's name. It's not ideal, but I can see some effort in preserving at least part of the original name. But I can't forgive calling Shrapnel "Predacon" or Octane "Tankor." It's too much of a deviation for me. :/

P.S.: I imagine that there could be differences between intellectual property laws in the United States vs. Australia.