IP: domain name challenge

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 09:57:00 -0700
From: Ted Laliotis <ted () laliotis org>


The San Jose Business Journal, in the Aug. 5 edition, reports 
that Regis McKenna, the legendary Silicon Valley PR man/firm,
filed suit on July 9, to protect his domain name, regis.com.


Apparently, he has been using that name since 1993. However,
recently, a Mineapolis-based hair products company by the name
of Regis Corp. requested the domain name regis, and NSI (Network
Solutions Inc.) granted the name to them and asked Mckenna to 
stop using it. NSI, according to the article, has established 
a policy of giving preference to large companies who have trademarks.
Regis Corp. has several products with that trademark. McKenna doesn't.


Mckenna is suing Regis Corp. and NSI. The article says that NSI is
the US government contractor that assigns domain names. I thought 
INTERNIC (sp?) did that. Iam not sure what the relationship is
between NSI and internick.


The article says that this is the sixth such law suit where smaller
organizations have adopted domain names that conflict with trademarks 
of larger companies and quotes several property rights attorneys who
believe that this is only the beginning and it will get worse before 
it gets better.


My comment: Yet another fertile ground for lawyers!!


Jim Warren had pointed out to me recently that there was a bill in the 
California State legislature on the same subject but I do not know the 
status of it.


Ted
Ted Laliotis
ted () laliotis org