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Old 05-02-2008, 10:00 AM   #35
Zhiroc
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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Re: Determining the Origin and Meaning of RPI

After seeing this go 'round and 'round, I think it can be boiled down to this: the RPI folks are trying to create a "brand" or "trademark" well after the creation of their "product". However, the term they used originally has been co-opted by the community at large. Furthermore, the term RPI, unlike "monkey", is formed of 3 words that have generic meaning, and even the order is nothing special as other terms like "RP enforced" and "RP accepted" is the common way to describe a MUD.

Why are brand names nowadays usually some sort of "made-up" word? Because of this very reason, I think. You can't get people to consider a branding unique if they already have an understanding, right or wrong" about the words you choose, unless you are very, very successful and ubiquitous.

So the way I see it? Don't beat your heads against the wall. Make a new term and trademark it. Or maybe, drop the notion that the "I" means "intensive". Create an graphical trademark around the letters RPI and say that it just means "RPI". Or if you want, pick a new word, like "Initiative".

I imagine there are legal ways to protect your brand, and ways to license games to use it, but I don't know the specifics.
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