COPYRIGHT
Judges Pick David Over Goliath in Domain Name Suits (CyberTimes)
INTERNATIONAL
China's Internet Providers Remain Bowed, Not Broken (NYT)
DTV
'New way' of digital TV from Cablevision, Sony (SJM)
ADVERTISING
Old Media Get a Web Windfall (WSJ)
COPYRIGHT
JUDGES PICK DAVID OVER GOLIATH IN DOMAIN NAME SUITS
Issue: Copyright
While the courts have tended to side with large trademark holders in many
Internet domain name cases, a Boston judge has recently ruled in favor of
the little guy in such a suit. Hasbro, the giant toy maker, had charged
Clue Computing, a tiny Colorado-based computer consultant, with trademark
infringement and dilution for registering the "clue.com" domain name. In
this case Hasbro had to prove that the well-known trademark for its board
game "Clue" was inherently diminished by Clue Computing's use of the domain
name. Judge Douglas P Woodlock was not convinced, finding that the
legitimate competing use of the domain name is not dilution. "Holders of a
famous mark are not automatically entitled to use that mark as their domain
name; trademark law does not support such a monopoly," the judge wrote.
Carl Oppedahl, an intellectual property lawyer based in Colorado, predicts
that the ruling in this case is "going to help domain-name owners avoid
being panicked by cease-and-desist letters [from large trademark holders].
It should give should give them courage."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Carl S. Kaplan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/09/cyber/cyberlaw/17law.html)
INTERNATIONAL
CHINA'S INTERNET PROVIDERS REMAIN BOWED, NOT BROKEN
Issue: International/E-commerce
Companies that have invested in China are now trying to save face in the
wake of the announcement by Wu Jichuan, the Minister of Information
Industries that it is illegal for foreigners to own shares in companies
providing Internet content or services. Foreign-based businesses wonder if
Jichuan will really get rid of companies that are investing a significant
amount of money and bringing new business to China. The best known portals
in China, SINA.com and Sohu.com, both have substantial foreign
investment. Most of the affected companies said that the supposed ban on
foreign investment would not stick and, indeed, one ministry official
hinted today that the rules might be eased in the future. Wang Lijian, vice
director of the ministry's news office, also noted that the
telecommunications rules would be revised later this year in a manner
"beneficial for investment and development." At a news conference, James
Jarrett, president of Intel China, said his company had invested in several
Chinese Internet companies. He said he felt that, in the end, officials
would realize that such investments contributed to China's progress.
Representatives of other investing companies said that a ban on foreign
investment would be self-defeating because it would cause foreign firms to
direct capital and energy to places like Taiwan and Hong Kong instead.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Erik Eckholm]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/09/biztech/articles/17china.html)
See Also:
INTEL IGNORES NEW CHINESE CURB ON FOREIGN INTERNET INVESTMENTS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Matt Forney and Jason Dean]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB937512478655805415.htm)
DTV
'NEW WAY' OF DIGITAL TV FROM CABLEVISION, SONY
Issue: Digital Television
Cablevision Systems and Sony have joined in an alliance to develop a
digital system that will allow viewers to watch movies, play video games
and send e-mail, all from a box on top of their TV sets. Cablevision, the
sixth largest cable operator in the United States, will pay around $1
billion to Sony for the set-top boxes, which are expected to be launched in
the New York area in about a year. "The interactive TV top box puts the
customer in charge of the service," said Cablevision President and CEO Jim
Dolan. "The potential new service is limitless, and since the customer is
in control of the technology, it could also lower monthly bills.'' The
system would also be ready to convert to new high definition television (HDTV).
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Steve James (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/reuters/docs/861825l.htm)
ADVERTISING
OLD MEDIA GET A WEB WINDFALL
Issue: Advertising/Radio
Internet start-ups, desperate for name recognition, are pouring hundreds of
millions of advertising dollars into good old radio. Radio is seeing some
of its fastest advertising growth in history, thanks to web companies
wanting to advertising on the medium. Radio-ad revenues from Internet
companies are expected to nearly triple to $800 million this year, says the
Radio Advertising Bureau, a New York-based trade group. The rush to radio
illustrates some of the realities of building an Internet business in the
late 1990s -- companies see radio as a fast and relatively inexpensive way
to get their names known. A spot can be written, produced and running in
just a few weeks or less -- compared with a minimum four weeks for a TV
spot. "Television is the most powerful medium -- and probably will be for
the foreseeable future," concedes Bruce Mowery, marketing vice president at
More.com. But "speed is important, particularly when you're moving in
Internet time."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Suein L. Hwang]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB937525101883206955.htm)
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