Just out of curiosity, I did a search of the Library of Congress titles list, for the exact term "urban homesteading" and found 57 titles, the oldest of which dates back to 1974. Most of the titles were from the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board which was established in New York City in 1974. Are these people going to tell this organization that has been existence for the last 37 years that they are not entitled to use their duly registered name?
Why, even the meaning given to the phrase "urban homesteading" by the original legal users of that phrase has a complete different meaning: "The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board was founded in the midst of New York City’s economic crisis of the 1970s. While landlords abandoned their buildings en masse, the city found itself with over 11,000 buildings on hand and no idea what to do with them. UHAB became a voice for the residents living in those buildings – longtime New Yorkers who had no intention of leaving.
"Turning buildings over to the residents began as an experimental idea. But soon the city was convinced it could be sustained. The first year UHAB offered training in Harlem, 200 buildings learned how to cooperatively govern and operate their own buildings."
Furthermore, this term is in common usage, and has been since the early 1970's with a variety of meanings related to self reliance in an urban setting, and clearly is not eligible for trademark status. Read Canadian Doomer's post. And buy the books of those writers who are being victimized by the family who shall go unnamed and shall be shunned. And keep on using the words Urban Homestead and Urban Homesteading. It's your right!
The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series)
, 2008 Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living
, 2011The Complete Idiot's Guide to Urban Homesteading
, 2011
