Call up the toll free directory, 1-800-555-1212, and ask for variants of your company’s name such as EXAMPLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, EXAMPLE PRODUCT SUPPORT, EXAMPLE PARTS, EXAMPLE REPAIR and EXAMPLE TECH SUPPORT.  Now check to see if your company actually owns all the numbers you received.

Ernest’s The Importance Of with an exhaustive round-up of Grokster commentary.

Via Bag and Baggage, two ads worth noting.

Interesting page of domain name statistics, via ZookNic.  .INFO and .BIZ peaked in September 2003 (approximately two years after their roll-outs). .COM has recovered and is at an all-time high in registrations.

MGM et. al. v. Grokster, 03-55894 (9th Cir. August 19, 2004).  Partial dismissal on summary judgment of plaintiff’s copyright infringement claims against Grokster based on contributory and vicarious infringement arising from Grokster’s peer-to-peer software, affirmed by 9th Circuit.

UPDATE: Much commentary on Grokster here.

E Commerce Times on place name domain name cases.

Interesting depiction of the iPod by FREEDOMOFMUSICCHOICE.ORG, which acknowledges that it is sponsored by Real Networks, a competitor of Apple and iTunes.

Assuming that the depiction of the iPod functioned as a trademark, is this fact pattern reminiscent of that of Deere v. MTD, where a competitor was taken to task (under pre-FTDA…

Would you believe that Colin Powell signs off on some of my clients’ non-U.S. trademark applications?  I have his robo-signature in my files.  He certifies the authenticity of the seal of a state’s secretary of state, who authenticates the seal of the county clerk who certified the authenticity of the notarial certificate in the name of my…