RE: [wg-b] RESPONSE to submission from noncommercial community

["Stuart E. Benson" <sbenson@farkaslaw.com>]

I would add that we should be concerned if someone tries to sell toys over
the Internet under ToysRUs.com but is not affiliated with the real ToysRUs.
Consumer protection is important to all of us.  These are serious issues,
where legitimate interests appear to be in conflict.  It does not help to
deny this.

Stuart Benson


-----Original Message-----
From:	owner-wg-b@dnso.org [mailto:owner-wg-b@dnso.org] On Behalf Of Philip
Sheppard
Sent:	Friday, December 10, 1999 10:45 AM
To:	wg-b@dnso.org
Subject:	Re: [wg-b] RESPONSE to submission from noncommercial community

Judith Oppenheimer complains about my reminder of consumer protection by
citing well-known trademark owners who are trying to get what they believe
should be "their" domain. This situation is history created by the
undifferentiated monopoly of .com along with .net and .org. The situation is
an ugly, consumer-hostile mess and I want none of it.

Our task is to think of the consumer-friendly world of the future which
simultaneously allows the car-buying user to find VW and not be irritated
that it is instead Virtual Works and allows Virtual Works, if they choose
for legitimate consumer marketing reasons to be known as VW, to not be
confused with VW cars.

Mikki Barry wants to defend the right of free speech by Internet users who
want to complain about a famous name.  Great, over to WG C, lets have
.grudge. Or .consumer watch - lets have this useful function of the Internet
in an honest and open way.