News.com: “DNS service promises safer, faster browsing” (domain name look-up service intended to combat phishing and typo sites).
Maybe They Should Push The FANTA
Discussion of backlash agaisnt Coke in Somalia, now that Islamic Militias have taken over, via NY Times.
Rejuvenating Brands
NY Times: “Mr. Peanut, You’re Perfect. Now Change.”
Real Trademark Issues In Virtual Worlds
Second Life, in its own words, is:
“. . . a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by over 200,000 people from around the globe . . .
You’ll also be surrounded by the Creations
What Is Cosmo?
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy champ, has a blog, and has written an excellent post on the protectability of facts, that is to say, fictional facts about sitcoms, such as Kramer’s first name. HT 43(b)log.
Have A Nice Day
NY Times: ‘Smiley Face Is Serious To Company’ Story of the Loufrani family, which owns trademark registrations to the ‘smiley face’ around the world. If you have tiume to kill, you can go to TTABVue and use ‘Loufrani’ as a search term, to pull up dockets for its various oppositions against the likes
Al Queda: Tall, Grande or Venti?
We have previously noted how the ‘clash of civilizatiions’ manifests itself in small part as reactions against Western brands (MECCA Cola and QUIBLA Cola, and the RAZANNE Doll).
However, as illustration of unintended consequences, I suggest that but for Al Queda and the Taliban, there would not be a Starbucks in Kandahar
We Can Get It For You Retail
Europe By Net takes orders for designer furniture through its catalog and website, apparently fulfills these orders by buying at retail in Europe, and ships them to the customer. It still, reportedly, can beat U.S. retail prices for those items. Europe By Nets’ website claims that some of its prices are 20 to 30% below