IP Technologies White Papers
A Primer on Trademark Law and Internet Addresses
Overview
Quite a bit has been written in the recent past about trademark issues surrounding the registration and use of Internet domain names. Since these articles have been written, there have been a number of new and significant cases decided, and new legislation has passed which affects domain name disputes. This article examines these cases and presents a more complete primer on trademark and dilution law as it pertains to various aspects of Internet addressing, including domain names.
Using a series of examples--some hypothetical, and some drawn from real incidents--this paper will step through a legal analysis of the addresses' use, and will examine situations in which an infringement may occur.
Computers connected together via the Internet are able to send information back and forth because each connected machine (often referred to as a "host") possesses a unique address. Each Internet Protocol ("IP") address takes the form of four sets of numbers, separated by periods, or "dots." The IP number system is coordinated by, and numbers are assigned under the authority of, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority ("IANA") which receives its charter from the Internet Society and the Federal Network Council. These IP numbers are long and hard to remember. They are what computers understand and use to route traffic on the Internet.
| Publisher | Negativland | File Format | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2003 | Downloads | 1 |
| Format | White Papers | ||
| Topics | |||
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