Barnes & Noble goes for Nook2, Nook Kids at USPTO

Barnes & Noble has made a pair of filings at the US Patent and Trademark Office discovered today that hint it has long-term plans for Nook sequels. One, for a "Nook2," was filed on June 8 and clearly attached to a device for "downloadable electronic publications." A "Nook Kids" trademark surfaced at the same time and had the same description, PocketNow found in its own check.

A companion trademark, "Nooksellers," applied to an unknown customer service feature through e-mail, kiosks and the phone.

Any unique features and the timing weren't mentioned, but the Nook Color was only just launched this fall and may put the Nook2 or Nook Kids launches further into 2011. The naming implies that the Nook2 may still have an e-paper display where the Nook Kids could be given controls and a toughened body to take rougher use.

The filings show a continued commitment to e-readers despite toughened competition from Amazon and Apple. Barnes & Noble has refused to provide numbers that would help determine its share, but it has usually claimed to have 20 percent of the US and planned to expand dramatically in the future. It has still had problems replacing paper book sales with digital and recently confirmed that it might be bought out by Borders in an attempt to consolidate against the Kindle and iPad.

By Electronista Staff

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Amazon, industry, gadgets, digital imaging, Kindle, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Nook, iPad