A few weeks ago Tom Fine suggested that we change the name "Discography"
when the items are not "discs". I disagreed, of course.  So it was a
nifty surprise when opening up the new Spring 2010 Arec Journal to see
Patrick Feaster's Phonautograph Discography!  Patrick ended the first
paragraph:  "It has become customary to refer to lists of sound
recordings as 'discographies' even when they focus on cylinders or other
non-disc media, so I hope it won't raise too many eyebrows for me to
call this a Scott discography." 


Even more of a surprise was an item I saw a few days earlier in the May
1947 issue of The Record Changer I won in the Conference Silent Auction:


"Michael H. Goldsen, of the Criterion Music Corp. (publishers of
Delaunay's Hot Discography) write me that his concern takes a dim view
of other publlshers who use the word 'discography.'  'Many thousands of
dollars,' states Mr. Goldsen, "were spent in publicizing this name, and
in keeping with its high standard of research is is unfairly claimed by
any other users. Some of your advertisers are using the word
'DISCOGRAPHY' on record collection books.  Our attorney is notifying
these people that they are to stop using this title or they will be
served with legal action.'  There certainly is a lot of trouble in the
world.  The address of the Criterian Music Corp is: RKO Bldg, Radio
City, N.Y. 20, N.Y."


I think we can all guess how THIS turned out -- they had not trademarked
the word -- but I would be interested to know exactly what did happen. 
What Record Changers I have are tucked away out of reach, and the other
issue I got last week, October 1948, has my late friend Walter C. Allen
discussing his progress on "a comprehensive biography and discography of
the late King Oliver".  


Mike Biel  [log in to unmask]