For most of us, the term 'smartbook' (a device that's somewhere in between a smartphone and a netbook) is nothing but the latest tech buzzword du jour. For German company Smartbook , however, it's apparently a chance to score some free publicity by vigilantly defending a multinational trademark and threatening to sue everyone who dares use it in conversations. Let me kick off by saying that Smartbook AG does indeed own a trademark on the word smartbook in most of Western Europe, Australia, Singapore, South Korea and a couple of other countries. The company sells laptops that are named Smartbook, so I guess the company is well within its rights to try and protect their trademark in any way it deems appropriate.