While I agree that IMAX getting their panties in a twist over being referenced is silly, it's easy for me to see why they feel threatened. Cheap big screen TVs have gone a long ways to undermine traditional theaters, and now, cheap VR technology could potentially undermine IMAX theaters. I think movie theaters in general are a fairly passé technology and if/when they loose their privileged place to show new movies first, they will quickly fade away.The standard in trademark law is to determine whether there's infringement by detecting whether there would be a "likelihood of confusion" between two products. But again, we're very far away from that test here. That standard would only apply if we were selling movie tickets; there are no consumers who confuse reading an article about virtual reality with going to the movies.
As the article pointed out, it's partly their own fault for diluting their brand by associating it with inferior screens. I don't go to the theaters often--maybe twice a year. I know I've paid for IMAX once or twice in the past, but I don't know if I've ever seen a "real" IMAX screen, and, lazy as I am, I can't be bothered to research if I'm getting my money's worth. So now I just never pay for IMAX. Problem solved.