xD-Picture Card - it's real!
By
Mike Tomkins
(Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 15:14 EDT)
Fuji has registered trademark for the upcoming memory format...
We've been doing a little digging of our own since Chasseurs d'Images posted news of the xD-Picture Card (a replacement for the SmartMedia memory card format) yesterday. First, we found news from Germany where it seems the story broke - the article including the logo and front/back low-res images of what the cards look like.
We've since independently verified that Fuji has filed to trademark the 'xD-Picture Card' name in both the USA (#76398464, filed April 19, 2002) and Europe (#002662914, filed April 22, 2002 in Germany). In both cases, the list of products covered by the trademark is: "IC memory cards; IC memory card readers and/or writers; IC memory card connecting adapters; computer printers; digital still cameras; digital video cameras; voice recorders; mobile phones; photographic cameras; apparatus for recording; transmission and reproduction of images, sound and data; parts and fittings for all the aforesaid goods."
Thus-far, we've been unable to uncover a design patent showing the xD card's form factor, although we did uncover some Japanese patents that may well have been laying the early groundwork for the final product. If our readers are aware of any patents related to the xD format, you can email Mike T. with a patent number or anything that would point us in the right direction; you can of course remain anonymous should you wish to.
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