Previous post by: Mar 5, 10:53 pm Michael D. Sullivan
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom From: snipped-for-privacy@bbs.cpcn.com - Find messages by this author Date: 5 Mar 2005 19:53:56 -0800 Local: Sat,Mar 5 2005 10:53 pm Subject: Corporate Identify -- Verizon vs. "Bell Telephone"
As has been done for years, the regular telephone bill mailing contained an advertising insert for premium products and services.
On a recent Verizon leaflet, at the bottom was a small line, "Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania".
This was curious since that's a very old name that hasn't been used for years. Even in the Bell era, they shortened it to just "Bell of Pennsylvania". After divesture they became "Bell Atlantic", and IIRC they legally changed their name to that. Further, IIRC, their name change to Verizon was a legal name change as well, not just a marketing tool.
So, I'm curious as to why they would use an old name on modern sales literature, esp when they're pushing their most modern high tech services. (They changed their name to Verizon specifically to sound high tech and not old fashioned with 'Bell Telephone').
The only thing I could think of is perhaps it's to distinguish this mailing for this state, and former Bell customers (as opposed to GTE customers).
snipped-for-privacy@bbs.cpcn.com Mar 6, 11:51 pm
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom From: Michael D. Sullivan - F> As has been done for years, the regular telephone bill mailing
The various mergers and corporate name changes that have taken place over the last 20 years among the Bell companies have not, for the most part, changed the legal name of the operating company within each state. All of the Bell Atlantic companies use the Bell Atlantic name to do business, but the state operating companies all have individual names, auch as Bell Telephone Co. of Pa. I think some of them have changed their names, however. Most likely the reason for the old name appearing on the modern literature is a state PUC or statutory requirement that the actual name of the operating company be provided on marketing documents. This would be the name that appears on the tariff, as well.
Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD, USA Replace "example.invalid" with ".com".
snipped-for-privacy@Post.com May 22, 2005
Also since Verizon has a federal trademark on "Bell of Pennsylvania" they are also maintaining the right to use that name. This trademark could expire in 2007 or be cancelled unless they renew it.
VERIZON has added the BELL Logo to all its new payphones outside its original market zones. It appears they are making further new use of the BELL name since many of the old Baby Bells have stopped using the name/logo(QUEST/SBC). A federal trademark can be considered abandoned after 2 years of non-use. It looks like VERIZON is being very wise about their use of the old name. Just printing the BELL Telephone name on a new bill does show current usage of the old trademark. And yes, there are still holding companies with the names NYNEX/NY Telephone/New England Telephone/BellAtlantic with current registered trademarks. VERIZON spent millions buying these trademarks --why let them lapse?
We now have Pacific/Nevada Bell phones next to VERIZON BELL payphones in some areas of the WEST. These Pacific/Nevada Bell phones are slowly becoming SBC Nevada or SBC Pacific branded phones. I thought SBC would have complained after Verizon started using the old BELL logo on their new phones 3 years ago. SBC other than the SouthWestern BELL logo for telephone accessories does not use the BELL logo anywhere else recently. BELL SOUTH and Cincinnati BELL seem to care about keeping the old names.