Battlebots Battles It Out: TV Show Versus IRC

Ender, Duke_of_URL writes: "Battlebots the TV show, has joined the ranks of Corporate bad-guys buy attempting to force out Battlebots.org, an IRC site that had registered their domain before Battlebots even filed for a trademark. As most of you know, in any dispute over domains it's the money that wins."

Comments

This doesn't make any sense financially.

[SuuSt]

The holders of battlebots.org are offering to sell the domain name to battlebots inc. for $5962 as compensation for the effort they've put into building the name of battlebots.org, potential loss of customers, etc...

Now battlebots inc. is going to sue them. It probably cost more than $6K just to get the restraining order. It seems as if Battlebots Inc. is trying to somehow defend the right of companies who own trademarks in one industry to enforce those trademarks in other completely unrelated industries. In other words, they're being silly.

Can they honestly believe that it makes sense to sue for a domain name when you could just buy the damn thing for $6000?

Another analogy

[Anonymous Coward]

Where the millions were overcome by a small group of powerful people. The small group of people were following the rules, but so were the small group of people out to get them. The critical point is who was making the rules. After that, all that was needed was humanities natural tendencies to look at things under the context of "If you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."

We do share some things with nazi Germany. The rules are being modified by a small group of well connected and wealthy people. The small group is using the rules they created to redefine right and wrong via the legal system, and is hammering the populace into line with much vigor. Despite this, much of the population clings to the conceot of "If you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."

Of course, we don't have the extremes of nazi Germany. The drive of the small groupo isn't to eliminate a race of people, but for the aquisition of power from the litle people. To move about without fear of the law, by currupting that law. But just people aren't being killed doesn't mean it's an acceptable environment. It's an indignity, a slap in the face. Why should we tolerate such indignity?

Stepping back and looking over recent events, i kind of see how the Jews didn't see what was coming. No one expected the Spanish Inquisition either. What are we to expect in the coming years? The illusion that we have a say in the shaping of government is already fading, and the real law making machinery is starting to bgecome visible underneath the worn veneer of "Democratic processes". That's definitly a milestone.

It's all okay though, until they kick down /your/ door.

Re:There are two paths:

[cshotton]

Find someone who will fight for them pro-bono (as they have a strong case) or get someone like the EFF involved (for funding)

Bull. They have no case. BattleBots was a registered trademark 16 months before this guy squatted on the domain. Even the EFF wouldn't touch this with a 10 foot pole. The guy's best hope is to get them to pay for his original domain registration, because the registrar is going to snatch that domain name away from this kid in a heartbeat.

Blaming BattleBots for going after this squatter shows an incredible ignorance of how trademarks work. If you hold a trademark and do not vigorously defend it, you run the risk of having the mark declared generic (e.g., Kleenex, Xerox, Thermos) or reverted to the public domain.

As a corporation, BattleBots has no choice but to defend its mark or lose it. Since it has every right, established through a date of first use that is 16 months earlier than the IRC kid, how can you fault them?

The best thing that could come of your call for a boycott of the show is that you might get some pale, pasty nerd boys off the sofa and out into the sunlight for a change.

Advice.

[matek]

Hello citizens of United States Of America.

This kind of thing could never be justified here in Europe (or at least in Denmark where I live). We even had a case once, where some young people bought Jolt.DK, and Jolt Cola claimed the domain name. You know what ? Jolt Cola (r) lost BIG time.

Apparently what you need is an organization that would protect single small business/consumer from the big corporations. It really pisses me off everytime I see some poor individual being screwed by a big company - and that's when I realize - I'm SO happy to be living where I am now..

Simple, pain free solution

[Ikari Gendou]

Just add a little line saying "We are NOT affiliated with Comedy Central's Battlebots. The Battlebots official website can be found here."
Battlebots.com will get their hits from people mistakenly typing in battlebots.org, and everyone can get along! If people would just take a moment and do that simple thing if they have a domain that might get accidental hits, we might not have these problems.

Yes, I know. Wishful thinking..

Don't boycott Battlesbots...

[rant-mode-on]

Don't boycott Battlebots - watch it, and boycott those companies that advertise on it. And tell those companies that you're doing so too.