Mark and all,
Very interesting article indeed. However I thought the other article
referenced in this URL you posted was bit more to the point,
see:http://www.metroactive.com/metro/cover/domains2-9933.html
To Wit from the author:
"Using criminal penalties and fines to resolve
commercial disputes will once again unlevel the
playing field in favor of the companies who can
afford to pay fines, hire lawyers and research
trademark claims, as well as foreigners not subject
to U.S. laws. The little guy will lose if President
Clinton signs into law the recent Senate bill
criminalizing cybersquatting. "
Mark C. Langston wrote:
> For those of you who don't live in Silicon Valley, there's a weekly
> paper called "Metro" that comes out on Thursdays. This week's
> (Aug. 19-25, 1999 Vol. 15, No. 25, San Jose) cover story is "Squat
> Busters" -- an article that looks at the issue of cybersquatting from
> both angles. There's a related story, "Bush Fire", regarding Exley's
> www.gwbush.com site, and George W.'s reaction to it.
>
> >From the front cover:
>
> "Internet domain names have become the real estate of the future.
> They've become political soapboxes and lucrative business assets. As
> small operators hit paydirt with dot.com registrations and Web sites
> begin to influence elections, big business and the political right
> have struck back. Their latest assault on free speech and net culture
> is an attempt to criminalize trademark dilution. A bill just passed
> the Senate almost unnoticed. Should the state use police powers to
> regulate Internet domain use?"
>
> Interesting reading. Sadly, the new stories aren't yet up at
> http://www.metroactive.com/metro , but I'd imagine they should be
> soon.
>
> Among the points the story makes is that "just about every word in the
> dictionary is trademarked at least once, and often several times over
> with one or more of the 48 different types of trademarks.
> [...] 'idea' appears in 195 registered trademakrs. The word 'idea'
> itself is registered 22 times."
>
> --
> Mark C. Langston Let your voice be heard:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.idno.org
> Systems Admin http://www.icann.org
> San Jose, CA http://www.dnso.org
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman INEGroup (Over 95k members strong!)
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Contact Number: 972-447-1894
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208
