I tried</a> to settle the case amicably, but Gannett's lawyers are threatening legal action if I don't hand over the spacenews.org domain by December 15, 1999. This is complete BS, and I will fight this and try to bring public attention to their egregious abuse of trademark laws. They now allege that I am a cyber-squatter and created this site in bad faith. They have their facts wrong and foolishly seem to think that any use of "Space News" infringes upon their mark even if it is in an unrelated field or industry (amateur/hobby astronomy vs. "The Business and Politics of the Aerospace and Satellite Industries" as declared in their trademark registration). I think it's a flagrant case of reverse domain hijacking.
<br>
<br><ul><li>Fact: Contrary to their claim, I created this site and added content before I was aware of their trademark. When I was notified, I immediately added a disclaimer to the site until the matter was resolved.
<br><li>Fact: I did not try to auction this domain or try to extort money from Gannett, Inc. Far from it--I am devoting my own time and energy to providing news and resources and developing the hosting software. I just want to be left alone to continue developing this site.
<br><li>Fact: This site is completely non-commercial and is in a wholly different category than their trademark
<br></ul>
<br>In my opinion, Gannett and its lawyers are abusing their trademark rights by making overly broad claims. They risk public ridicule, and at worst, the possible loss of their trademark.
<br>
<br>This trademark dispute, <a href="http://www.strasburger.com/pubs/intprop/mbr_02C.htm">Primedia Intertec Corp. v. Technology Marketing Corp.</a>, was brought to my attention and it seems to bolster my case in a couple ways: <i>First, the court found an Internet site to be readily distinguishable from a magazine. In addition, the court found that secondary meaning could not be transferred between a Web site and a magazine without use of the same mark.</i>
<p>
UPDATE: During some research, I found other "SpaceNews" publications:
<ul>
<li>www.spacenews.de: This is a German astronomy/aerospace publication that doesn't seem connected to Gannett.
<li>An actual "SpaceNews" electronic publication that started a couple of years before Gannett. Click on [more] to read their charter.
<li>MSNBC has a <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/news/spacenews_front.asp?cp1=1">SpaceNews</a>, too!
</ul>
Stay tuned...
These guys claim to have started publishing their "SpaceNews" in 1987:
This is from: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/news/1996/spc0101.txt
-----start-----
<pre>
SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0101
* SpaceNews 01-Jan-96 *
BID: $SPC0101
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY JANUARY 1, 1996
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited free distribution.
* SpaceNews NEWS *
==================
SpaceNews is a non-commercial electronic journal including articles of
interest to Amateur Radio Operators involved in satellite and other advanced
areas of telecommunications. It is published every week (as time permits)
and is available for unlimited circulation provided no charges are made and
no profits are realized from its availability.
SpaceNews has been in existance for about 8 years and is available from a
variety of different electronic sources. It is widely distributed on the
Amateur Packet Radio (AMPR) network through thousands of terrestrial packet
bulletin board systems around the world. SpaceNews circulation on packet
radio follows normal AMSAT message routing. SpaceNews is also uploaded
regularly to the AMSAT-OSCAR-16 digital store-and-forward "Pacsat" satellite
in compressed (ZIP) form.
In addition to wireless circulation, SpaceNews is also posted to several
Usenet newsgroups on the Internet including: rec.radio.info, sci.space.news,
and rec.radio.amateur.space. Those with Internet access can obtain the
latest issue of SpaceNews by using the Unix "finger" command as follows:
finger magliaco@pilot.njin.net
Those with e-mail capabilities can receive SpaceNews by sending a blank
message to "infobot@infomania.com" with a subject of:
#FINGER magliaco@pilot.njin.net
Archives of SpaceNews issues from years past are available via anonymous
FTP at pilot.njin.net (128.6.7.38). Files are located under the
/pub/SpaceNews subdirectory. Archives from 1993, 1994, and 1995 have been
compressed into .ZIP files, while issues from 1996 are available individually
in ASCII text form.
* HAPPY NEW YEAR *
==================
;illllllli;
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Edi;i@ dl ll dd @@@d; @l i@l ;@i ;@dllEd
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i@dllilid@ dd ;@il@; ;iil@@@@@i;d@lllld@ dE ilE@i
i@; ;@l dl @iEd Ed; i@i @l i@i;@l dE
@i lE dd @l@i EEdd@d @li@; @ll@; ;@i
Ei ;i Elld @@E i@iildE dddE ; ddEd dd
dl iE l@d@ @@l l@dlid@ d@@l d; l@@i ;@i
lE ;@d d@@ @@; ;il@E@i i@@; ;@l i@E lE
i@; E@i i@@ @E i@i@l ;@d l@E El El
@i d@@; lE @i E@@EEd dd di d@@i l; i@;
El i@dE l @i i@d;;i; lE i ;@lEd dd
dl ;@iEd @i ;ldE@dl i@; i@;lE i@i
dd El;El i@i Ed ;@i lE i@i dE
l@ lE i@lildd@@dlii; ;@i El El Ediiil@l
i@lldE@lidEdllllldlldEEEE dEillld@i lEdddll;
;iilddlli@Edd@@dE@Edd@i ;ii iddlllii lEdli;
l@EdllEl i@; @di; @l dEEEEEdddl lEEdddlii E@ild@
i@; dd Ed i@ ;@l;@l ;;;;id@ @E;;iilldEd; i@l ;@
El i@;i@; El lE@@EEllE l@ i@l ii; ;dE l@; d@
i@; Eldd i@; dd El ;El i@;l@i @E@i i@i EE i@d
dd i@@; E@ l@dEEE;@i l@E ;@id@ i@i@d i@i;@l E@;
;@i El l@@ ;;; i@dE l@@; EdEd i@i@l i@il@; l@l
lE ; ;@E@; i@@d dE@i d@@i l@Ed ;EE EE Ed
El d@;@i ;E@EEE@i @d@d l@@i i; id@d;;@@dd@i
i@; dd El @l i@ dddi i@E ;l; EE; ;llll
@l ld dd @EE@@d ;@l l@d l@; ;EEdE@l
dl ld ld ii; dd illli @l d@E Ed Ed l@;
ld l@ l@ ;Ed Edldd dd d@@; i@l@i l@;
i@ l@ l@dddE@@@Ed ;@i l@ l@ @lEl dEd@lid@l
i@i l@ ;lli; i@i l@ i@;;;l@EE@ldEiild@lildli
@dE@EEd; lEE@@E@d i@@@EEElil;l@Eddli;
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John,
KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below:
FAX : 1-908-747-7107
FTP : pilot.njin.net cd to /pub/SpaceNews
WWW :
www.njin.net . . .
PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@pilot.njin.net
SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19
MAIL : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
Department of Engineering and Technology
Advanced Technology Center
Brookdale Community College
Lincroft, New Jersey 07738
U.S.A.
<<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>>
/EX
</pre>
