Yesterday the Trademark Blog microblog on Twitter (@trademarkblog) received its 2000th follower.  I’m not sure how many of those followers are real human beings interested in trademark law, but it is a nice number.  To follow the micro-blog, click on that little Twitter logo in the upper right hand corner.

Second, we passed the 500,000 mark for reads on Scribd.  So the various complaints, motion papers and decisions I have embedded  have been accessed 500,000 times.  Handing out 500,000 photocopies of these documents to you would have been much more cumbersome.

ICANN’s (former) chairman and (soon-to-be former) CEO have stated that the new gTLDs will spur innovation.

Well, here’s hoping. Twitter created one of the most important information tools in history based on sleepy old texting. So why can’t we hope that someone will create something useful and exciting on top of the DNS.

However.

The important Internet information tools – Google, Facebook, Twitter – these are applications built on top of public platforms. The founders didn’t have to ask anyone for permission, didn’t have to pay rent for use of the platform, didn’t have to submit their plans to public comment – didn’t have to ask anyone what they thought, other than the Market.

In contrast, here the gTLD entrepreneur is going to fill out a lengthy application, be subject to an examination process to determine that it’s in compliance with ‘consensus policies,’ be subject to third party comment – and if the new venture wants to make a mid-course correction, it can’t just ‘pivot’ (to use a hot buzz word), it has to apply to ICANN to change its plan. And, to start out in life, the gTLD entrepreneur will have to take $185,000 and burn it. And keep burning cash on ‘license fees.’

Look, the new gTLDs may be useful (in the sense that new developments in advertising are useful), and maybe we’ll be lucky and get something like a Google or a Twitter out of it, but let’s not kid ourselves as to whether this is about fostering innovation.

 

Who counterfeits cookies? This may be a ‘back door of the (Polish) factory’ scenario. Bahlsen alleges that counterfeit HIT cookies are being sold in a NY Gristedes supermarket.  I love HIT cookies by the way.

 Complaint Hit Cookies(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(“script”); scribd.type = “text/javascript”; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = “http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js”; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Durango Merchant alleges that Info.com misuses DURANGO MERCHANT as keyword.

Complaint Durango v Info Com(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(“script”); scribd.type = “text/javascript”; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = “http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js”; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

When I saw the trailer for the new Justin Timberlake film, In Time, I dimly recalled that I had read a short Sci-Fi story in which every one had a certain amount of time allotted to them, which amount was displayed on them in some way.  Turns out I saw thinking of Harlan Ellison’s ‘Repent Harlequin! Said the TickTockMan.”  Apparently Harlan Ellison was reminded of it as well.  Coverage here.

Complaint Harlan Ellison in Time(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(“script”); scribd.type = “text/javascript”; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = “http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js”; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();