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more on New Internet free speech case
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 09:15:10 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: Chris Savage <chris.savage () crblaw com> Date: July 30, 2004 2:05:51 PM EDT To: "dave () farber net" <dave () farber net> Subject: RE: [IP] New Internet free speech case
-----Original Message----- From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net] Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 1:19 PM To: Ip Subject: [IP] New Internet free speech case
<snip>
But our concern is with the impact on the general public of GEICO's
expansive trademark theories, which take laws designed to produce truth in commercial advertising and promotion, and turn them on their head to suppress truthful advertising in which one company seeks to take business away from another company by targeting its ads at the first company's potential customers and persuading them that the second company has a better or cheaper product to offer.<< Dave, FWIW, this is something that my local Safeway does (or did). When the register notes that I have bought (say) "Fancy Feast" cat food, it will generate a little coupon for my next visit for "Purina" cat food. Or when it notes that I have bought "Dow" bathroom cleaner, it prints out a little coupon for "Lysol" bathroom cleaner. Direct counter-brand promotion. Being slavishly loyal to my brands, I noted this, but never actually cared or changed my behavior, but presumably the theory was that some less slavish individual might respond. If Safeway can take its (lawfully acquired) knowledge of a brand I just bought to give me a push in the direction of another brand, why can't Google (etc.) take its (lawfully acquired) knowledge of a brand I want information about to give me a push in the direction of another brand? Chris S.************************************************************************ ***
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- more on New Internet free speech case David Farber (Jul 31)