Just to clairfy for other readers, the A Zildjian & CIE Trademark was not acquired by Avedis Zildjian until 1968 when Zildjian acquired the K trademarks. Prior to that, the trademark was property of K Zildjian in Istanbul and Gretsch.
And now since Zildjian's talking points have been interjected into this discussion and have muddied up the waters considerably, "just to clarify for other readers" (as well as for you Brian), that both of these statements are FALSE.
The one concerning the K. Zildjian trademark is demonstrably false just on the face of it. How could Avedis Zildjian have purchased the rights to that trademark in 1968 when the K. Zildjian Co. was still making cymbals under that same trademark until 1977?
The answer is:
They didn't.
Here's the documentation to back it up:
http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalexamples/K.ZILDJIAN%20and%20CO.htm
Registration date: July 11, 1989
Just in time for the launching of the EAK's.
http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalexamples/A%20Zildjian%20and%20Cie.htm
Registration date: December 30, 1975
So in addition to what we've seen concerning earlier apparent contradiction in what they've said about the production of extra large cymbals, ie. the evidence of the existance of those two 32" cymbals; we now have these additional two statements that have also proven to be false as well to add to the list.
So for is reason, and for multiple others that I've show to be to be false in the past on other drum/cymbal websites, you should be able to see why I refuse accept anything that Zildjian says in their talking points at face value.
Just because Zildjian says something on their site doesn't make it true. Anything they say warrants further research to verify or refute its verasity.