Re: .COM TLD, DNS and the English Language

[Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <o.crepin-leblond@ic.ac.uk>]

> Okay, help me out here.  A URL is a URL, right?  It seems to me that
> <http://www.exxon.ch> would annoy Exxon just as much as
> <http://www.exxon.com>.  I can't see how placing a domain name under an ISO
> country TLD reduces the harm or the annoyance.  In either case the web site
> operator, if not authorized by Exxon, is trading off of Exxon's good name,
> passing off his work as Exxon's.

The example you picked is good actually. Exxon does not trade under the
name Exxon in Europe. Let's say that a Swiss Cheese manufacturer called
Exxon has the right to the trademark Exxon in Switzerland, I do not see why
they should be prevented from using it on their web site http://ww.exxon.ch .

If Exxon wants its trademark to be present in all countries, then it
should register it with the respective trademark office in *all* countries
and that will cost them a packet, but such is life. Just bullying companies
with the same name in other countries, while having no legal right to that
name in that country is not possible.

In Europe, there are countless similar registered trademarks from
one country to another. Everybody knows where they stand.

-- 
Olivier M.J. Crepin-Leblond, EE Dept | Also: Global Information Highway Ltd.
Imperial College of Science, Tech. & |       Mobile: +44 (0)956 84 1113 
Medicine, London  SW7 2BT, UK        |       Fax:    +44 (0)171 937 7666
<foobar@ic.ac.uk>            In Funk We Trust             <foobar@gih.com>