Chip company AMD has finally managed to trademark its most important intellectual property, its own name. At the same time, it has taken steps to trademark the name Athlon. Earlier this year, we revealed that AMD had somehow forgotten to take this step, and so it has moved fast to protect its rights. The trademark AMD, according to the application, covers key rings, key ring tags, pocket knives, computer mouse pads, wrist rests, water bottles, clocks, radios, watches, pens, pencils, letter openers, calculators, water bottles, letter openers, paperweights, memo clips, name badge lanyards, and briefcases. Athlon covers, in the words of its application, "computer hardware; semiconductor devices; microprocessor modules; computer subsystems; and computer software related thereto". But not basketball teams and soap dishes. Magic Packet covers switching components. So that's all right then. ® See also AMD trademarks own name