On 7/10/07, Stephanie Bryant <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I do a videoblog for an IP lawyer. He says it's about $350 to file the > paperwork, and about $2000 to get the attorney to do the legwork/trademark > search, which is needed before you file. Only you can decide if it's worth > it to you.
This is exactly why it's a reasonable idea to protect at least the domain names through reserving them rather than hoping the courts will protect you. Remember that there are further complications regarding ip even after filing successfully. It can still be overturned (even years later) by prior use and you are forced to defend you registered trademark if someone tries to use it. Unless you have the financial backing, "people like us" can't do much with trademarks other than spend money. OTH, domain names are cheap and though it still pisses me off that one is forced to reserve useless names (it's like extortion) that's the cheapest most efficient tactic to protect your "internet name". It's totally reasonable as long as your great idea is a single word. Unfortunately, if you have something like "vlogsRus" and you want ironclad protection for this idea that will soon be the hottest thing since Google, you'd need to reserve: vlogs-r-us.* vlogsrus.* vlogs-r.us vlogsr.us and probably vlogs-r-us.* (etc) Even if that amounts to say 20 names, it's still very cheap (maybe $150 for all 20) and nowadays you can point them all free to your first choice vlogsRus.com (or whatever). The small cost that came when the monopoly of NetSol was ended (entry was $70 per domain) has made it totally cheap to register all kinds of names and squat them. A pox on domain name squatters.
