Year 2000 same as "Year Zero" says U.S. Government
Released_By: USANews Press Release Network
Date: 5/19/99
Time: 1:55:27 PM
For_Immediate_Release
Year 2000 same as "Year Zero" says U.S. Government
Contact: Alan (alan@go2zero.com) or Lori Dechert 4700 Allegretto Way, Granite
Bay, CA 95746 voice: 916.791.0456 fax: 916.772.5360
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA -- "The term 'YEAR ZERO' is commonly used to refer to
the year 2000" according to US Trademark attorney, Martha L. Fromm.
The Patent and Trademark Office of the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
recently ruled against Alan Dechert's application for Trademark registration of
his Year Zero Calendar. This common usage of "Year Zero" was cited as a key
factor in determining that "Year Zero Calendar" is "merely descriptive" and
therefore not registerable as a trademark.
"I was a bit surprised," said Alan Dechert, a computer programmer, publisher
of the Year Zero Calendar, and promoter of the Year Zero idea. I have seen many
examples of people using the term 'Year Zero' in this way [as a year 2000
equivalent] since I introduced the idea three years ago, but I didn't realize
how common this usage has become. This is especially significant because our
current year-numbering system was established by common usage, not by decree. I
believe this new year-numbering system will replace the old system in a similar
way: people started using it because it made sense to them.
The Trademark office cited an article titled 'Panic in the Year Zero' by John
Kado as an example. Joseph Farah has written a series of 'Panic in the Year
Zero' articles. The first one was about me and my idea but other articles he
wrote used 'Year Zero' that had nothing to do with me or my idea." Joseph Farah
is editor of WorldNetDaily.com, executive director of the Western Journalism
Center, and former editor of the Sacramento Union newspaper.
Dechert published his "Year Zero Proposal" on the Internet in April of 1996.
A month later he published it in the Oregonian newspaper. This was soon followed
by newspaper articles and radio interviews about the "year zero." The Year Zero
Calendar was published in September of 1996. Since then, Dechert's idea has been
featured in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles around the world as well
as television programs in Europe.
"We had planned to license the 'Year Zero Calendar' name to other calendar
publishers," said Dechert. "Now, other publishers are free to use it. I always
said I'd drop the trademark if the idea caught on. I guess it happened a little
faster than we expected."
The Year Zero Calendar is available at bookstores and on the Internet at
Amazon.com books. Alan Dechert maintains a web site at
http://www.go2zero.com
