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Verizon Drops Suit Against 2600
askheaves writes "2600 has a quick article about how they are no longer in the hotseat over their registration of the domain name verizonreallysucks.com. Seems that Verizon laid out a blanket of letters to 200 domain holders with Verizon in the name. They retracted in this particular case since it was not an example of domain squatting, like they had originally thought."
2600 also owns "verizonshouldspendlessmoneyonlawyersandmoretimeup gradingtheirnetworks.com". Could that be what persuaded them to drop suit? :)
I've been without any telephone at home since August 28 because Verizon is still playing catch up after the strike.
If they treat their employees like they treat their customers, I'm not surprised they went on strike. According to ads run during the strike, managers used to follow employees to the bathroom. Still, I'd let them watch me piss if I could get a phone in less than 3 weeks.
-- Don't Tase me, bro!
I am VERY GLAD that Verizon appears to show some common sense in this area, since it is obviously not a case of squatting. It is a case of dissatisfaction.
Perhaps this is an instance where a legal department needs to give customer service a lesson?
Visit DC2600
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
It began as something about Verizon forming as a telcom merger.
Any company that gets big pisses off Emmanuel of 2600, so 2600 bought the domain in question as a form protest. Not saying that in a mean way or anything, it is just the position Emmanuel usually takes on matters like this. I might call it a form of opinion voicing rather than "protest" and even though I would not go to these lengths on this particular issue, I believe Emmanuel should be allowed to do it without being messed with.
Then Verizon sent 2600 an official mean letter telling them that they would be the subject of legal action if they did not give up the domain.
Now, after examining all of the downsides to doing something this stupid, Verizon is backing off.
That's about it.
Visit DC2600
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
Even if the company thought that their trademark was being infringed on and that they had to do something to protect their rights from becomming a common word, there are better ways then spending money on lawyers and clogging up courts.
Fight Spammers!
As far as I can tell, it wasn't an actual lawsuit, so much as it was a 'nasty' letter sent to the sites informing them of the possiblity of legal action... that's what I gleaned, at least.
Because you can't, you won't, and you don't stop...
Remember that Verizon preemptively registered many, many other domain names for themselves, including the original verizonsucks.com, plus verizonblows.com and countless others. And there's nothing on those sites, and there almost certainly never will be.
I would suggest to those who are saying "At last, a big corporation does something good!" that they are at best doing the right thing for the wong reason but more likely paying off their noisiest opponent to effectively silence dissidence.
They have managed to avoid a court case, to avoid bad PR, and to avoid the net squatting issue completely without too much media attention. And they still own most of the best names for protest sites. Not exactly cause for celebration.