NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Can you trademark a User-Name?
I have left a phone query with HomeAway's corporate office (VRBO's parent company) regarding this rather bizarre communication. I'll report back when I know more. --Lauren-- ----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:38:29 -0500 From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Can you trademark a User-Name? Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: Richard Perlman <rdp@yikes.com> > Date: January 12, 2011 3:47:23 AM EST > To: dave@farber.net, ip <ip@listbox.com> > Subject: Can you trademark a User-Name? > > Dave, for IP if you wish. > > I maintain my own domain name for personal use, call it foo.com for this discussion. When I do online business with various vendors who want an email address for me I assign them one of the form <vendor_name>@foo.com. This allows me to easily sort I coming messages, and also identify, and block addresses that get onto spam lists. These custom addresses are known only to the email sender and are never used for other purposes. This is no longer a particularly novel idea and Google now offers a similar option for gmail users by use of User-Name suffixes. > > I have had no problems until this morning when I received the following message complaining about my use of vrbo@foo.com. My question for IPers is: What is the validity of this claim, and if it seems valid (which I doubt) would such a claim also extend to a name like user-vrbo@google.com? > > Richard > > ------ Forwarded Message > From: VRBO Customer Support <support-cs@vrbo.com> > Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:21:31 +0000 (GMT) > To: "vrbo@foo.com" > Subject: Your VRBO Email Address > Dear Richard, > > Thank you for choosing VRBO.com for advertising your rental property. We greatly value your business! > > It has recently come to our attention that you are using the term “VRBO” in your email address. “VRBO” is a protected trademark of VRBO.com, Inc. Because we want to protect the integrity of the “VRBO” name, we cannot allow others to use the term. Therefore, we kindly ask that you refrain from using “VRBO” in your email address. > > While this may be inconvenient, please understand the importance of this request. Please change your email address promptly and contact us as soon as you have managed to make this change. > > Thank you for using VRBO.com – the world’s most visited vacation rental website! > > Kind Regards, > Elise > Customer Support Rep > VRBO.com Customer Support > http://www.vrbo.com ------------------------------------------- ----- End forwarded message -----