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12/19/2004 Archived Entry: "domain name trademarks"

When contemplating the ever-expanding silliness that is "intellectual property protection", one should not overlook the third leg of this peculiar footstool: trademarks. (The first two being patents and copyrights). Two of my least-favorite companies are again in the limelight.

Intel, it seems, is so jealous of its "Intel Inside" logo that it takes action against any "-inside" domain names. Even if the domain link belongs to an island. Evidently Fehmarn Island has received a letter from Intel about their "Ferhman Inside" web site. (I note, however, that the "Big Brother Inside" site is still functioning, although it hasn't been updated in four years.)

Microsoft, known to be equally pugilistic about domain names, lost one such battle recently when the World Intellectial Property Organization (WIPO) decided that the Spanish company Mocosoft could keep its mocosoft.com domain. WIPO are not the "good guys" by any stretch of the imagination; I guess this was just a bit too much even for them.      —brad