p38fln

I searched Ecoboost on the USPTO site and it showed two trademarks, neither of which were Whirlpool -
One was CPL Aromas LTD, United Kingdom (G & S / Fragrances / Perfume)
the other was Ford Motor Company, Corporation, Delaware (G&S / Automobiles and automobile engines)

Spelled with two words instead of one -
AOL, Inc (Corporation - Delaware) - DEAD/Abandoned - online computer games
Radiovision (Limited partnership - Texas) - DEAD/Abandoned - Advertising agency

truckercarl

As an attendee to the Washington, D.C. Auto Show this past January, I visited a number of automobile manufacturers displays and literally stood still when I arrived at one where I found the following sign below promoting “ecoboost”.
This automobile manufacturer that is promoting this technology is Ford, yes the same company that owns Saab’s Swedish competition, Volvo. While I find this blatant hijacking of Saab’s turbocharging technology & product branding by Ford, completely unacceptable, I find it even more unacceptable that this this is going unchallenged by Saab Automobile.
Saab Automobile has been turbocharging their vehicles since 1978, beginning with the Saab 99. This year marks Saab’s 30th Anniversary of Turbocharging, a time tested and proven technology that they own, and as far as I am concerned, they should be the only ones to own it, aside of SCANIA of course, Saab’s former truck partner where the technology originally started during the Saab-Scania era.
Moving forward, what do you think about this “ecoboost” branded turbocharging technology from Ford? Doesn’t it sound a little too close to Saab’s turbocharged “ecopower” technology? This cannot be a coincidence here, can it?

dcfluid

Every company out their is jumping on an ' eco' or ' green' theme to dupe people into thinking their purchase is somehow good for the world. It's just spin.

Turbocharging by itself? Not Saabs or anyone else property. Been around almost as long as internal combustion engines, and most turbos are made by a supplier and not the car company.
New twists on technology? Yes it could be patented if significant enough.

bb37

Truckercarl, you are misinformed on several points.

Ford sold its interest in Volvo Cars to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2010.

And Chevrolet built and sold turbocharged cars, the Corvair Monza Spyder, to the public in 1962...well before SAAB.

Seriously? You think SAAB-Scania should have exclusive world-wide rights to turbocharged engine technology? Please note that turbochargers were used on aircraft engines in World War II, Cummins had a turbocharged diesel engine in a race car at the 1952 Indianapolis 500, and Electro-Motive Division of General Motors had turbocharged diesel railroad locomotives as early as 1958. Your assertion that SAAB-Scania should have an exclusive on turbocharging makes no sense.

dcfluid

Turbocharged/supercharged planes and cars in the 1930's as well.

truckercarl

duh- I didn't write the story, found it on the net searching for ecoboost trademark