openmind — Thu, 27 May 2004 21:49:45 +0000

Aint greed wonderful? that and one of the seven deadly sins...

Suzanne — Thu, 27 May 2004 14:49:03 +0000

So you haven't been using it, but now that you know they might want it, you are and now you want to sell it to them for a high profit and you feel somehow you're David in this story!?

I'll tell you a real story, when Microsoft started a section of their site offering technical computing advice aimed at women, they infringed on an existing group of women doing the same thing. This group engaged in a legal battle with MS and WON. Why? Because they were in the right.

IBM doesn't need your domain name. IBM is their claim to fame, and they have that. If they wanted a memorable url that banked on that fame, they could use thinkvision.ibm.com or ibm.com/thinkvision or similar easily. They wouldn't be infringing on you in any way at all because a) your "company" was/is fictitious by your own admission and b) your company is not in the field of hardware/monitor development, and so wouldn't be in a position of trademark infringement in the first place even if it did exist.

So, basically, the $10,000 offer was kind of them. They don't need it, and they don't owe you squat.