Slashdot Mirror
Domain: network54.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to network54.com.
Stories · 5
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Diablo2: Apocalypse Now!
Weyoun writes "All those who play Diablo2 know that their characters on the battle.net 'Realms' servers are supposedly secure and unhackable. This has been the case up until a few days ago, when a group of crackers discovered a method whereby they could log on as any character. Since then, they have reigned over a virtual apocalypse as hundreds of the top ladder players have seen their items stolen (including that of one well-known Blizzard employee). Even worse, beginning last night one of the hackers began systematically murdering the top hardcore ladder players, by logging in as them and getting them killed (death is PERMANENT for them). As of yet there has been no official reaction from Blizzard, but the entire community is in a state of shock over this situation." Update: 01/02 04:30 AM by T : It appears that Blizzard has now corrected the problem. See below for more.Gaile - DiabloII.Net sent this update: "Blizzard has posted their response to the Diablo II Realm Character losses on their Realm Status Forum. The losses have been stopped (as of this morning), and characters are secure once more on the Realms. In addition, dead Hardcore Characters will be restored automatically, on January 8th, as outlined here:
[On] Monday, January 8, we will be reviving all hardcore characters who died between December 19th and January 1st. The restored hardcore characters will be revived with the experience, skills and items possessed as of Tuesday, December 19th. This restore will be automatic and players do not need to contact Blizzard to request that their character be restored. Note: Only dead hardcore characters that died between December 19th and January 1st will be revived.
In addition, a mechanism is in place for the retrieval of items, as well. The Blizzard post is on the Blizzard Site. We'll have more soon in the DiabloII.Net Bug Bytes section, which is an overview of the current game build." -
Diablo2: Apocalypse Now!
Weyoun writes "All those who play Diablo2 know that their characters on the battle.net 'Realms' servers are supposedly secure and unhackable. This has been the case up until a few days ago, when a group of crackers discovered a method whereby they could log on as any character. Since then, they have reigned over a virtual apocalypse as hundreds of the top ladder players have seen their items stolen (including that of one well-known Blizzard employee). Even worse, beginning last night one of the hackers began systematically murdering the top hardcore ladder players, by logging in as them and getting them killed (death is PERMANENT for them). As of yet there has been no official reaction from Blizzard, but the entire community is in a state of shock over this situation." Update: 01/02 04:30 AM by T : It appears that Blizzard has now corrected the problem. See below for more.Gaile - DiabloII.Net sent this update: "Blizzard has posted their response to the Diablo II Realm Character losses on their Realm Status Forum. The losses have been stopped (as of this morning), and characters are secure once more on the Realms. In addition, dead Hardcore Characters will be restored automatically, on January 8th, as outlined here:
[On] Monday, January 8, we will be reviving all hardcore characters who died between December 19th and January 1st. The restored hardcore characters will be revived with the experience, skills and items possessed as of Tuesday, December 19th. This restore will be automatic and players do not need to contact Blizzard to request that their character be restored. Note: Only dead hardcore characters that died between December 19th and January 1st will be revived.
In addition, a mechanism is in place for the retrieval of items, as well. The Blizzard post is on the Blizzard Site. We'll have more soon in the DiabloII.Net Bug Bytes section, which is an overview of the current game build." -
Domain/trademark infringement getting out of hand?
Chris Moser writes "Our company, Network54.com, operates a "build your own portal" type service where you can create free forums and chatrooms. Two years ago our company was known as eMedia Publishing LP and at that time we registered the domain name "emediapub.com".
We recently received a copy of a "cease and desist" letter from attorneys representing a company by the name e-Media, LLC regarding emediapub.com which is currently defunct but now owned by Network54 (the letter is actually made to our ISP - see below for details). The letter claims that e-Media, LLC owns the trademark/service mark "E-MEDIA" and that failure to hand over our old domain name to e-Media, LLC could result in "a court order requiring you to discontinue use of the Mark and a court award of money damages and attorney's fees and costs". The letter closes by stating "conduct yourself accordingly".We're not using this domain or company name anymore so we're not losing much by dropping the domain. We stopped using it six months ago, and likely will not be renewing our registration for the domain with the Internic. On the other hand, a term such as "e-Media" seems generic enough not to be trademarked, especially considering the number of Internet companies using "e-Media" in their names.
If this is trademark is enforceable, similar use of the very common terms "e-commerce", "i-commerce", etc. will also fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of those companies who trademarked them. Now I have no problem with companies trademarking their unique names, but isn't this going a bit far?
Details of the letter can be found here."
Yes, I'd say it is. Checking uspto.gov, I find two marks for "e-media", several for "emedia". This company has registered the trademark under the categories consulting services and educational services - another company has registered e-media for custom manufacture of electronic signs.
What this means is that if you provide consulting services or educational services (or make signs) under the "e-media" name, you may be infringing upon their service mark. If you are in another field of business, you can safely use e-media.
Given that your business and theirs aren't particularly related, and given that you've actually done business under the e-media name (i.e. you're not a domain name scalper), and finally given that the claimed mark is not identical to the domain name, I would say your case is extremely strong. Take a look at the Domain Name Rights Coalition for more information. You have every right to use e-media to describe your business in a field different from the ones that e-Media, LLC registered - and there are currently dozens of domain names which have emedia as part of them. Obviously you'll want to consult legal counsel, and maybe you really don't care about the name anyway. But if it were me, I'd renew the name just to spite e-Media, LLC. Companies ought to learn that a polite phone call works better than a demand letter. -- michael
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Domain/trademark infringement getting out of hand?
Chris Moser writes "Our company, Network54.com, operates a "build your own portal" type service where you can create free forums and chatrooms. Two years ago our company was known as eMedia Publishing LP and at that time we registered the domain name "emediapub.com".
We recently received a copy of a "cease and desist" letter from attorneys representing a company by the name e-Media, LLC regarding emediapub.com which is currently defunct but now owned by Network54 (the letter is actually made to our ISP - see below for details). The letter claims that e-Media, LLC owns the trademark/service mark "E-MEDIA" and that failure to hand over our old domain name to e-Media, LLC could result in "a court order requiring you to discontinue use of the Mark and a court award of money damages and attorney's fees and costs". The letter closes by stating "conduct yourself accordingly".We're not using this domain or company name anymore so we're not losing much by dropping the domain. We stopped using it six months ago, and likely will not be renewing our registration for the domain with the Internic. On the other hand, a term such as "e-Media" seems generic enough not to be trademarked, especially considering the number of Internet companies using "e-Media" in their names.
If this is trademark is enforceable, similar use of the very common terms "e-commerce", "i-commerce", etc. will also fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of those companies who trademarked them. Now I have no problem with companies trademarking their unique names, but isn't this going a bit far?
Details of the letter can be found here."
Yes, I'd say it is. Checking uspto.gov, I find two marks for "e-media", several for "emedia". This company has registered the trademark under the categories consulting services and educational services - another company has registered e-media for custom manufacture of electronic signs.
What this means is that if you provide consulting services or educational services (or make signs) under the "e-media" name, you may be infringing upon their service mark. If you are in another field of business, you can safely use e-media.
Given that your business and theirs aren't particularly related, and given that you've actually done business under the e-media name (i.e. you're not a domain name scalper), and finally given that the claimed mark is not identical to the domain name, I would say your case is extremely strong. Take a look at the Domain Name Rights Coalition for more information. You have every right to use e-media to describe your business in a field different from the ones that e-Media, LLC registered - and there are currently dozens of domain names which have emedia as part of them. Obviously you'll want to consult legal counsel, and maybe you really don't care about the name anyway. But if it were me, I'd renew the name just to spite e-Media, LLC. Companies ought to learn that a polite phone call works better than a demand letter. -- michael
-
Domain/trademark infringement getting out of hand?
Chris Moser writes "Our company, Network54.com, operates a "build your own portal" type service where you can create free forums and chatrooms. Two years ago our company was known as eMedia Publishing LP and at that time we registered the domain name "emediapub.com".
We recently received a copy of a "cease and desist" letter from attorneys representing a company by the name e-Media, LLC regarding emediapub.com which is currently defunct but now owned by Network54 (the letter is actually made to our ISP - see below for details). The letter claims that e-Media, LLC owns the trademark/service mark "E-MEDIA" and that failure to hand over our old domain name to e-Media, LLC could result in "a court order requiring you to discontinue use of the Mark and a court award of money damages and attorney's fees and costs". The letter closes by stating "conduct yourself accordingly".We're not using this domain or company name anymore so we're not losing much by dropping the domain. We stopped using it six months ago, and likely will not be renewing our registration for the domain with the Internic. On the other hand, a term such as "e-Media" seems generic enough not to be trademarked, especially considering the number of Internet companies using "e-Media" in their names.
If this is trademark is enforceable, similar use of the very common terms "e-commerce", "i-commerce", etc. will also fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of those companies who trademarked them. Now I have no problem with companies trademarking their unique names, but isn't this going a bit far?
Details of the letter can be found here."
Yes, I'd say it is. Checking uspto.gov, I find two marks for "e-media", several for "emedia". This company has registered the trademark under the categories consulting services and educational services - another company has registered e-media for custom manufacture of electronic signs.
What this means is that if you provide consulting services or educational services (or make signs) under the "e-media" name, you may be infringing upon their service mark. If you are in another field of business, you can safely use e-media.
Given that your business and theirs aren't particularly related, and given that you've actually done business under the e-media name (i.e. you're not a domain name scalper), and finally given that the claimed mark is not identical to the domain name, I would say your case is extremely strong. Take a look at the Domain Name Rights Coalition for more information. You have every right to use e-media to describe your business in a field different from the ones that e-Media, LLC registered - and there are currently dozens of domain names which have emedia as part of them. Obviously you'll want to consult legal counsel, and maybe you really don't care about the name anyway. But if it were me, I'd renew the name just to spite e-Media, LLC. Companies ought to learn that a polite phone call works better than a demand letter. -- michael