Question
Oh, this is just great.... NOT!! EBay has a trademark on the term "auction web sites"?
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y03/m08/i07/s02
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>eBay Bans Google Keywords
John Corea, owner of AuctionSageSoftware.com, has been marketing software to help eBay sellers since 1999. He uses Google's advertising service to reach potential customers, but recently ran into a roadblock in the form of eBay lawyers.
eBay is banning Google advertisers from using the search term "eBay" to reach searchers. Jeff Housenbold, Vice President of Internet Marketing and Business Development for eBay, sent a letter to Google on June 5, 2003, along with a list of terms that eBay says are trademarked. Terms on the list include "ebay," "bay," and "auction web sites."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Blanche
Answer
http://community.here.com/infopop/em...n_rolleyes.gif
Gimme a break! Can they get away with that???
~*~Kim~*~
<A HREF="http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewListedItems&user id=planetvideo&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=200" TARGET=_blank>Now THAT'S Entertainment...
</A>
<A HREF="http://www.themarykayconnection.com" TARGET=_blank>Would you like FREE samples?
</A>
Answer
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Terms on the list include "ebay," "bay," and "auction web sites." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That is unbelievable! http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_frown.gif http://community.here.com/infopop/em...n_rolleyes.gif http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_razz.gif
I hope they are sued, and lose another lawsuit.
kudzurose (Dorothy)
Answer
The word "bay" is trademarked? Give me a break!!
What makes you think we sell anything?
Answer
Unbelievable http://community.here.com/infopop/em...n_rolleyes.gif
~Cathe
http://home.earthlink.net/~frankenbaby123/pawbone.gif
I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to....
Answer
I hope all of the companies who furnish auction related services gang up and oppose ebay on this,whatever action that might take. Andale, Vendio, AuctionSage, Sold!, Auction Hawk, Auctiva, SpareDollar etc. etc. They are all impacted by this and it should be stopped.
Mel-
Answer
I think eBay has decided to get down and dirty because they FEAR Google as a competitor. I cannot believe they can get away with trademarking a common phrase like "auction web sites" and I hope someone takes them to court over it.
Blanche
Answer
So I guess the following will have to close their auction web sites: http://community.here.com/infopop/em...on_biggrin.gif
Christies
Sothebys
<A HREF="http://www.dellauction.com/" TARGET=_blank>Dell Auctions
[url=http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/31/releases/da001486.doc/]FCC</A>
US Dept. of Justice on-line Auctions
US Treasury Saving Bond Auction
.... and Google showed about 1.5 million other on-line auction keyword hits. I think eBay had bit off more than they can litigate.
This reminds me of a small chip company about 20 years ago called Zilog. They tried to copyright the letter Z because their main CPU chip was called Z80. They fast became the joke of the country.
Answer
Frivolous lawsuits have become the flavor of the day. Yes, it shows eBay is getting desperate.
Answer
I checked the United States Patent And Trademark database for trademarks filed by eBay and there is no listing for either "bay" or "auction web sites". I also checked to see if anyone had trademarked "auction web sites" and no one has done so.
The following are the trademarks listed for eBay - the status is at the end of each entry signifying if it's live or dead. I removed the ones that were not filed by eBay itself and are currently dead anyway::
http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm
Serial Number Reg. Number Word Mark Check Status Live/Dead
1 78259036 ANYTHING POINTS LIVE
7 76975318 2744717 EBAY(drawing) LIVE
8 76022873 2737342 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
9 76975311 2735542 EBAY (mark drawing) LIVE
10 76390385 2720889 HAPPY HUNTING LIVE
11 76249279 EBAY (word mark) DEAD
12 76022874 EBAY (typed drawing) LIVE
13 76022866 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
14 76223396 EBAY (word mark) DEAD
15 76022899 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
16 76275682 2662130 EBAY (typed drawing) LIVE
17 76273329 2662118 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
18 76234220 2648557 POWER SELLERS LIVE
19 76184962 2634266 THE WORLD'S ONLINE MARKETPLACE LIVE
20 76235455 2607197 PREMIER GUARANTEE LIVE
21 76271577 2604375 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
22 76271411 2604374 EBAY (typed drawing) LIVE
23 76022871 2592515 EBAY (typed drawing) LIVE
24 76022862 2592514 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
25 76022872 2583312 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
26 76271424 2578260 EBAY (typed drawing) LIVE
27 76271420 2578259 EBAY (word mark) LIVE
28 76233281 THE ART WORLD'S ONLINE MARKETPLACE DEAD
29 76184915 2555505 EBAY PREMIER LIVE
30 76378335 BUY IT NOW LIVE
31 76233209 EBAY LIVE
32 76267830 2522632 EBAY LIVE
33 76267752 2522630 EBAY LIVE
34 76002885 2514362 EBAY POWER SELLERS LIVE
35 76233282 EBAY LIVE
36 76022893 EBAY LIVE
37 75611249 EBAY LIVE
38 75620646 EBAY LIVE
39 75983172 2729649 EBAY LIVE
40 75702632 EBAY.COM LIVE
41 75727026 EBAY A GOGO DEAD
42 75625389 2672470 EBAY LIVE
43 75620500 EBAY LIVE
44 75611252 EBAY LIVE
45 75983141 2700836 EBAY LIVE
46 75983138 2700834 EBAY.COM LIVE
47 75620479 2700675 EBAY LIVE
48 75767707 EBAY MAGAZINE DEAD
49 75766670 EBAY MAGAZINE DEAD
50 75610933 EBAY LIVE
51 75625390 2666767 EBAY LIVE
52 75620501 EBAY LIVE
53 75724045 EBAYTV LIVE
54 75981770 2553773 EBAY LIVE
55 75606966 2547742 MISTER LISTER LIVE
56 75766900 EBAY GREAT COLLECTIONS DEAD
57 75981102 2526027 EBAY LIVE
58 75981021 2518652 EBAY LIVE
59 75981055 2501043 EBAY LIVE
60 75825185 EBAYSECURITIES.COM DEAD
61 75789381 YOUR PERSONAL TRADING COMMUNITY DEAD
62 75766669 FROM OUR HOMEPAGE TO YOUR HOMETOWN DEAD
63 75727027 EBAY-TV LIVE
64 75702633 EBAY CONNECTION DEAD
65 75702630 EBAY.COM LIVE
66 75702629 YOUR ROADMAP TO TREASURES IN CYBERSPACE DEAD
67 75702628 EBAY CAFE DEAD
68 75701167 EBAY EDGE DEAD
69 75701166 EBAY CONNECT DEAD
70 75669553 2410023 EBAY LIVE
71 75621219 2367932 EBAY LIVE
72 75613531 2367895 EBAY LIVE
73 75611780 2468781 EBAY LIVE
74 75587191 2420512 EBAY LIVE
75 75442729 IT'S THE CONNECTION. DEAD
76 75442728 EBAY, A SAFE HARBOR FOR TRADING DEAD
77 75442727 YOU WANT IT. SOMEBODY'S GOT IT. DEAD
78 75442726 WE HELP PEOPLE TRADE! DEAD
79 75431574 2512967 SAFEHARBOR LIVE
80 75391662 AUCTIONWEB DEAD
81 75391661 2218732 EBAY LIVE
Blanche