Autodesk's Attempt to Trademark 'Cyberspace' and William Gibson's Reaction

Autodesk's Early VR and Trademark Attempt

In 1989, Autodesk's Research Lab was developing early virtual reality technology, running on a 386 system with Matrox graphics cards, a VPL EyePhone, Polhemus tracker, and data glove. The system operated at six to ten frames per second. As the VR developments progressed, Autodesk applied to register a trademark for the term "cyberspace".

William Gibson's Displeasure

Timothy Leary, who was involved with the Autodesk VR lab, informed the author that William Gibson, the author who coined the term "cyberspace" in his 1984 novel Neuromancer, was displeased with Autodesk's trademark application. The author sent a conciliatory letter to Gibson, which ended with a quote from Gibson: "The street finds its own use for things." Gibson's lawyers subsequently sent a letter to Autodesk in response.

The 'Eric Gullichsen' Rumor

Timothy Leary circulated a rumor that Gibson was attempting to trademark "Eric Gullichsen" in retaliation for Autodesk's actions. This rumor was later embellished by John Perry Barlow and amplified by Rudy Rucker, contributing to the widespread story about the incident.

Gibson's Perspective on the Term

About a year after the trademark attempt, the author met Gibson at Art Futura 1990. Gibson commented that while "the street finds its own use for things," "Autodesk is not the street," indicating his view that Autodesk's commercial use of the term was not equivalent to its organic adoption. The matter was reportedly put aside after discussions at the event.