Utube Sues YouTube

An anonymous reader writes "From The Age article: Universal Tube, which sells used machines that make tubes, has said it has lost business because customers have had trouble accessing its site." So now Utube is suing YouTube seeking a cease and desist on the youtube domain. (I wonder if they think Google's pockets might be deeper that the previous owners'.) This again raises the problems of domain names colliding across different industries and countries, and reminds me of the etoys/etoy tussle a few years back. Should domain name simply be exempt from trademark legislation in all countries or is it a legit thing to fight for?"

Comments

Google Provides Servers?

[Psychotext]

I can't help thinking that the best thing Google could do on this is provide the server needs for utube.com to function whilst being hammered by the people incorrectly hitting the site. I don't think they would have much to complain about after that... though I'm sure that probably wouldn't stop them.

It's the all encompassing .com that's the problem

[Colin Smith]

Hence stuff like .bank, .retail, .energy, .telecom etc etc.

ooh, the wayback machine is fabulous, here's a rant I wrote years ago about ICANN and the flatness of the current DNS system.

ICANN fuck up the worlds DNS

Well, Ok, but if you're going to call yourself ICANN then what do you expect?
Here's my DNS heirarchy diatribe.

The DNS is not being used appropriately.

It's a heirarchical system that has been abused by the registrars to the point where it's effectively a flat naming system; *.com.

End users should not have access to domains above 3rd or 4th level. First, second and maybe even the third level domains should be reserved exclusively for domain administration purposes.
Think of it as a filing system. Would you allow users to randomly create directories off root or /usr or even /home? No, only a fuckwit would do that but this is essentially what ICANN are doing. As a responsible administrator you should administer that heirarchy and create areas where users can create and access information in a consistent fashion.

An example of a managed heirarchy
microsoft.vendors.software.com
apple.vendors.software.com
opensource.vendors.software.com
ibm.vendors.software.com
microsoft.operating-systems.software.com
apple.operating-systems.software.com
open-source.operating-systems.software.com
amazon.vendors.books.com
barnes&noble.vendors.books.com
waterstones.vendors.books.com
hoover.US.trademarks.org
persil.UK.trademarks.org
fred.new-york.US.plumbers.com
tesco.superstores.shopping.com
asda.superstores.shopping.com
whsmiths.newsagents.shopping.com
menzies.newsagents.shopping.com

You see the kind of thing I mean? Web browser and other software could then make use of the structure of the heirarchy.

The DNS needs to be re-organised or even just organised. ICANN and the registrars should get off their fat arses and design the heirarchy rather than completely abdicating responsibility and allowing chaos to ensue the way they have done so far.

A properly designed heirarchy would allow everyone to have their place without all this domain squatting and trademark infringement bullshit.

The new TLDs that ICANN are proposing will simply cause more chaos. They will not solve anything. ICANN are just abdicating their responsibilities again. Do you really think that the IBMs, Microsofts and Apples of this world will not simply register their names and trademarks in every existing TLD?

They can, they will and things will only get worse.

And of course we now have phishing problems as well. Oh happy days.

Cheap webhosting for a 12million dollar business

[Cartack]

Look at the hosting plans their isp provides http://www.1net4all.com/hosting.htm Basic Corporate Enterprise Setup $14.99 $29.99 $59.99 Bandwidth 500 MB 2 GB 8 GB 250 MB Additional Bandwidth $9.99/month Maybe they are so upset because they are using webhosting designed for mom and pop sites.