2003

Google has lost a decision in the court of first instance in France based on its sale of keywords.  It is my understanding that the case revolved around a complaint by a trademark owner that if Google has sold the keyword SHOES for an ad for any brand of shoes, then a search for [TRADEMARK] SHOES

Pivotal Private Equity has announced that it has purchased Network Solutions Inc., the largest domain name registrar for approximately $100 million.  Details here and here.  Verisign had purchased the registry and registrar businesses of NSI for $20 Billion in 2000.  Verisign is retaining the registry business.

Information on Pivotal Private Equity here.

Here’s a reminder – while it’s nice to receive unsolicited email and instant messages (about trademarks, not Nigerian bank scams), such contacts are at most initial or peripheral contacts, that will not create an attorney-client relationship for purposes of privilege, malpractice or conflicts of interest.  While I agree to keep such communications confidential, bear in

Via the Times-Picayune, AMERICA ONLINE v. AMERICA’S ONLINE UNIVERSITY.  Grantham University has filed for AMERICA’S ONLINE UNIVERSITY, which has raised an objection from AOL.  I note that Walden University owns Reg. no. 2728349 for AMERICA’S PREMIERE ONLINE UNIVERSITY.

IPKat on the protectability of ideas in conceptual art.  In this case the idea is to fill 70 shoes with butter and put them in a scenic location.

A candidate for mayor of Hudson, NY, formed The Bottom Line Party.  The incumbent mayor quickly filed petitions to run under The Bottom Line Party name, claiming that no one can own a political party name (and keeping the opponent off the ballot under that party line).  For now, the matter is in state

If you review advertising and promotional material for your clients, and they use terms such as DOMINANT, LEADING and PREMIER in their copy to describe themselves or their products, you may want to bring this story from By No Other, to their attention.  It discusses the possible legal exposure (in a securities law context)