Propellerhead Software in New Zealand? Couldn't pick a different name?

[Ostermilk]

I wonder how many hairdressers in the UK are called 'A Cut Above'.

These and other questions are the things that keep me awake at night, but I don't intend to lose any sleep over a bit of insomnia.

[joeyluck]

We should all bombard them with questions about Reason!
And, "When the heck are you going to update the Rack Extension SDK?"
Who knows, maybe they would

thinking of doing just that

Haha Nah. Was only kidding. And it's been cleared up that they've been around quite a bit of time. I'm sure our Propellerhead is well aware of them. Unless they chime in to say that they explicitly stole their identity 18 years ago and have been a nuisance since lol

[Faastwalker]

I've just sent Propellerhead (NZ) an email asking if there is any truth in the rumors that Reason 9.0 is just around the corner.

[raymondh]

I've just sent Propellerhead (NZ) an email asking if there is any truth in the rumors that Reason 9.0 is just around the corner.

Let me provide some translations in advance of their response:

They are uncertain if they say:
* Buggered if we know
* Stuffed if we know

They mean "no" if they say:
* Yeah, Na
* Yeah, Right!
* You taking the piss?
* Not even
* Get off the grass

If they add the word "Mate" at the end, they're trying to break the news gently.

They mean "yes" if they say:
* Is the Pope a Catholic?
* Good as gold
* Home and hosed
* Sweet As!
* Sussed!

If they add the word "Mate" at the end, they might be taking the piss...



And for a classic piece of Kiwiana from the 80s...

[Aasmund1986]

I heard that New Zealanders are very carefully about their copyrights and trademarks, is this true?

[raymondh]

I heard that New Zealanders are very carefully about their copyrights and trademarks, is this true?

I can't speak for everyone, but from my experience (27 years in the NZ software industry) I would say there is a heightened focus on branding and copyright. I'm not sure trademarks are registered/protected as much as they could/should be. And as a general rule I don't see a lot of patent applications being done and this would be driven by the cost to apply for a patent and the expected cost to enforce a patent, especially with international law complexities. Most businesses in NZ are small to medium size so they don't have the resources.

[joeyluck]

This is nothing new, there have been various companies around the called propellerhead, propellerheads or propellerhead software for years now, or even used it as a band name.

EG this - since 1995

http://www.propellerhead.com.au/about/about-us

Well my initial point being that I understood people used names across different industries. I wouldn't consider 'propeller head' who does computer repair the same industry. Aside from it being two words.

This company does software development. But I also questioned if software development is also too broad a spectrum to claim...

[KEVMOVE02]

Fascinating! Did anyone bother to do a google search and count the number of companies that the word "Propellerhead" is included in the company name?

http://www.propellerhead.co.nz/
http://www.propellerheadmedia.com/
http://propellerhead.ca/
http://www.propellerhead.com.au/
http://propellerheadaviation.com/

So I guess at least 5 companies are hoping to be "discovered" when someone googles Propellerhead? NOPE! I had to go 3 pages deep in the search results to find another business entity. SEO, baby!

Does anyone remember Apple Corps v Apple Computer?

Interesting side note: 4Dyne 3 Band Compressor has an ad at the bottom of each page of search results for the word "Propellerhead"

[CharlyCharlzz]

http://propellerheadhats.com/

[Gorgon]

Epic album.

[MarkTarlton]

Like a cow. Moo-g Right?

[joeyluck]

Fascinating! Did anyone bother to do a google search and count the number of companies that the word "Propellerhead" is included in the company name?

http://www.propellerhead.co.nz/
http://www.propellerheadmedia.com/
http://propellerhead.ca/
http://www.propellerhead.com.au/
http://propellerheadaviation.com/

So I guess at least 5 companies are hoping to be "discovered" when someone googles Propellerhead? NOPE! I had to go 3 pages deep in the search results to find another business entity. SEO, baby!

Does anyone remember Apple Corps v Apple Computer?

Interesting side note: 4Dyne 3 Band Compressor has an ad at the bottom of each page of search results for the word "Propellerhead"

I did do a search. But concluded that most were in other industries.
I believe that propellerhead.ca is also software development?

I've concluded at this point that it likely doesn't matter. I've seen Propellerhead used for many companies and products. I stumbled upon the first one which seemed eerily similar and they develop software... And I made a guess that they were new based on their only youtube videos which are more recent (all of which give this vibe of 'company launch'). But seems they've been around a bit.

[plaamook]

Like a cow. Moo-g Right?

Nope, can't do it. Gotta be Moog like a cow.

Thanks though.

[chk071]

Since when do Americans know how their own name is spelled?

Btw, it's not a fairly common name in germany. I never heard of it, apart from Moog Music (and i even live near the netherlands, where the name is supposed to hail from). We also don't spell it "Moagh" or "Mowg" like he pronounces it, but "Mohg". Oh well, as i said, Americans and name spelling.

[snowcattt]

...be happy you aren't from Maine when it comes to business names. Everything here is "Mainely Heating" and "Mainely Sandwiches" and "Mainely Homes" etc.......yawn.

[ebop]

I know a guy that works for Propellerhead (NZ) and is in the promotional video. I've already joked with him that their company ripped off the real Propellerhead. He didn't have a clue what I was on about.

[Faastwalker]

I've just sent Propellerhead (NZ) an email asking if there is any truth in the rumors that Reason 9.0 is just around the corner.

Got a reply today;

"Hi,

That very much depends on your definition of 'just around the corner' and 'rumours/rumors', having said that, we're a different Propellerhead from propellerheads.se that make Reason so I can't help you at all.

As we do software services for government and business organisations, I'll happily (while wildly uninformed about business model trends in the music software world) speculate that in order to survive in the long term that Reason will at some stage have to transition to software as a service in the vein of Adobe and now, Windows. Personally, I find monthly subscriptions easier to manage than large one-off purchases.

Best of luck in your search to find the truth about Reason!

Jonathan".

So there you go. Jonathon of Preopllerhead (totally unrelated to Propellerhead) thinks Reason should become a subscription service!!

[craven]

So there you go. Jonathon of Propellerhead (totally unrelated to Propellerhead) thinks Reason should become a subscription service!!

nooooo, he can't be serious Oh man, I really hope this won't happen without keeping the old model as alternative. Funny and clever answer! Now if our Props would be that responsive

[megarax]

I've just sent Propellerhead (NZ) an email asking if there is any truth in the rumors that Reason 9.0 is just around the corner.

Got a reply today;

"Hi,

That very much depends on your definition of 'just around the corner' and 'rumours/rumors', having said that, we're a different Propellerhead from propellerheads.se that make Reason so I can't help you at all.

As we do software services for government and business organisations, I'll happily (while wildly uninformed about business model trends in the music software world) speculate that in order to survive in the long term that Reason will at some stage have to transition to software as a service in the vein of Adobe and now, Windows. Personally, I find monthly subscriptions easier to manage than large one-off purchases.

Best of luck in your search to find the truth about Reason!

Jonathan".

So there you go. Jonathon of Preopllerhead (totally unrelated to Propellerhead) thinks Reason should become a subscription service!!

Cool guy!

And he's probably right about the subscription too.

[Noplan]

Their clients should also know that they can achieve a better service by starting sentences with "COME ON PROPS".

[CharlyCharlzz]

I know a guy that works for Propellerhead (NZ) and is in the promotional video. I've already joked with him that their company ripped off the real Propellerhead. He didn't have a clue what I was on about.

to pick the same name I can anderstaand but the same Font as well?!?!
I wonder who they payed for the graph LOL