Editing Webster's Dictionary (section)

== The name Webster used by others ==
Since the late 19th century, dictionaries bearing the name ''Webster's'' have been published by companies other than [[Merriam-Webster]]. Some of these were unauthorized reprints of Noah Webster's work; some were revisions of his work. One such revision was ''Webster's Imperial Dictionary'', based on [[John Ogilvie (lexicographer)|John Ogilvie]]'s ''[[The Imperial Dictionary of the English Language]]'', itself an expansion of Noah Webster's ''American Dictionary''.

Following legal action by Merriam, successive US courts ruled by 1908 that ''Webster's'' entered the [[public domain]] when the ''Unabridged'' did, in 1889.<ref>''G. & C. Merriam Co. v. Ogilvie'', 159 Fed. 638 (1908)</ref> In 1917, a US court ruled that ''Webster's'' entered the public domain in 1834 when Noah Webster's 1806 dictionary's [[copyright]] lapsed. Thus, ''Webster's'' became a [[genericized trademark]] and others were free to use the name on their own works.

Since then, use of the name ''Webster'' has been rampant. Merriam-Webster goes to great pains to remind dictionary buyers that it alone is the heir to Noah Webster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/about-us/faq|title=Merriam-Webster FAQ|access-date=May 13, 2018|archive-date=August 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812183013/https://www.merriam-webster.com/about-us/faq|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/about-us/noah-webster-legacy|title=Merriam-Webster Continues Noah Webster's Legacy|website=Merriam-Webster |language=en|access-date=May 12, 2018|archive-date=May 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513152021/https://www.merriam-webster.com/about-us/noah-webster-legacy|url-status=live}}</ref> Although Merriam-Webster revisers find solid ground in Noah Webster's concept of the English language as an ever-changing tapestry, the issue is more complicated than that. Throughout the 20th century, some non-Merriam editions, such as ''Webster's New Universal'', were closer to Webster's work than contemporary Merriam-Webster editions.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} Further revisions by Merriam-Webster came to have little in common with their original source,{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} while the ''Universal'', for example, was minimally revised and remained largely out of date.

So many dictionaries of varied size and quality have been called ''Webster's'' that the name no longer has any specific brand meaning.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} Despite this, many people still recognize and trust the name. Thus, ''Webster's'' continues as a powerful and lucrative marketing tool.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} In recent years,{{when|date=August 2019}} even established dictionaries with no direct link to Noah Webster whatsoever have adopted his name, adding to the confusion. [[Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary|Random House dictionaries]] are now called ''Random House Webster's'', and [[Microsoft]]'s ''[[Encarta]] World English Dictionary'' is now ''[[Encarta Webster's Dictionary]]''. The dictionary now called ''Webster's New Universal'' no longer even uses the text of the original ''Webster's New Universal'' dictionary, but rather is a newly commissioned version of the ''Random House Dictionary''.

The ''[[Webster's Online Dictionary: The Rosetta Edition]]'' is not linked to [[Merriam-Webster Online]]. It is a multilingual [[online dictionary]] created in 1999 by [[Philip M. Parker]].<ref name=W-O-D>{{Cite web
| title = Fascinating facts about Philip Parker inventor of the W-O-D Project in 1999.
| work = Ideafinder.com
| publisher = Vaunt Design Group
| access-date = August 31, 2010
| date = November 1, 2006
| url = http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/parker.htm
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907074622/http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/parker.htm
| url-status = live
| archive-date=September 7, 2007
}}</ref> This site compiles different online dictionaries and encyclopedia including the ''Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary'' (1913), [[Wiktionary]] and Wikipedia.<ref name=WOD_WP>{{Cite web
| title = Webster's Online Dictionary – Definition: dictionary
| work = websters-online-dictionary.org
| publisher=ICON Group International, Inc
| access-date = August 29, 2010
| url = http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/credits/editor.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040222075613/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/credits/editor.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = February 22, 2004
}}</ref>