[Looks like I spoke to soon in my earlier post about silly comments of the day. Leave it to the media to out-do themselves.]
According to an article at Fiji Broadcasting's website, Fiji's name has once again been PIRATED. The headline reads:
Fiji Stolen Again
By "again" FBCL is apparently referring to the first time the Fiji name wasn't stolen. On that occasion, the country acted in an international display of Fiji-time and attempted to threaten Microsoft a full fourteen months after they begin internally referring to the next version of it's operating system as "Fiji". As most of us on the ground here know, the lack of true broadband services have the unfortunate effect of delaying world news from getting to us as quickly as in other places.
What about this new attempt at hijacking Fiji's name, though? What is wrong with these software companies who believe they can do whatever they want and reference anything as "Fiji" without fear or repercussion? Lets set the record straight right now for the world to know.
For anyone who feels the impulse to use the name of this country in any product or service, please send a letter describing what's wrong with you to:
Committee on the Protection of Fiji Naming in Products and Services Worldwide (CPFNPSW)
Office of the Chairman
Government Buildings
Private Mail Bag
Suva, Fiji
That will get the ball rolling.
While you wait, lets consider the damage to Fiji's brand by allowing companies such as Exadel free reign over the fragile moniker of an island archipelago in the South Pacific.
The original article reads:
Once again Fiji has had its name stolen.The online software company Etelos Incorporated is now marketing a software application called Exadel Fiji. The application is for web developers.
This is just the latest case of piracy of the name Fiji.
In Canada, there is a firm selling Fiji tuna but the tuna is not from Fiji. Recently Microsoft was developing a new operating system for computers under the name of Fiji.
About the only product legally using the name Fiji, aside from government agencies and so on, is Fiji Water, which received permission to use the national name back in the 1990’s.
I personally see a big difference between a food identified with Fiji (i.e.; Fiji Tuna) versus a software application (i.e.; Exadel Fiji) but that's just me. I'm still confused as to why anyone would name a product developed as an extension to JavaServer Faces after Fiji but again, that's just me. I'm not a developer and although this particular software application has apparently been built with the goal of helping users become more efficient, one thing is abundantly clear; Exadel marketing people have never been to Fiji.
If they did visit Fiji, they'd find many things...beautiful beaches, incredible people, a deeply rich culture and so much more. What they wouldn't easily find is efficiency.
Or wait...perhaps Exadel wants to communicate "easy life" to their target audience. Use "Exadel Fiji" and everything is seqa na leqa. Maybe it's not such a bad name after all.
Too bad they will soon cower beneath the wrath of the CPFNPSW.
[Note to Digital Fiji blog. The party's over unless you get your paperwork in quickly.]
