Mission StatementII (was: Remove MORFOS/PEG from Main Fourum)

[MarkTime]

Chromozone,

By your definition, its an open site.  

By other definitions, its an amiga site with a broad
definition for all things amiga and amiga related.

This has been discussed at length. As they used to say 'RTF'...its been discussed at length, just read a thread or two.

[MarkTime]

@bhogget,

oh I don't think they'll ever leave completely, they need this site for validation.

[MarkTime]

My brother is in the internet business, and offered to buy a domain for $5000, a domain that had his companies trademark.

This was a few years ago, the kid who owned it, actually had the gumption to hold out for more money.  After a year or two of negotiations, which they dutifully entertained...finally they decided he wasn't really ever going to be realistic.  They brought in the lawyers and just took the domain, and paid him nothing.

It is a fact, that you cannot hold someone's trademark.  There isn't a lot of legal wiggling that can go on here...Amiga is spanish word for girlfriend, but as amusing as it would be, for people to suggest this site is really a collection of girlfriends having discussions...lmao...dang that is funny...it just isn't reality.  Amiga in this case, stands for the Amiga computer, the trademark is owned by Amiga Inc.

I had suggested a while back that Amiga should refer to a generic class of home computers, but that never really flew, so I think we are stuck.

With that said, I think Amiga, Inc. should offer to PAY for amiga.org, if they really want the name.  They should realize amiga.org could continue easily under a different name.  And they should realize they are going to upset all but their most loyal worshippers if they act rashly.  And they should WELL KNOW, they will never build a market from that group of witless geeks.

I know I should leave out that last line, but I can't.  I am simply disgusted at too deep a level by petty people who cannot handle differing opinions.

[MarkTime]

t_bone,

I don't want anyone to think I am in favor of Amiga, Inc. taking action.

But I don't understand why the mistake of confusing a trademark with the name of a company keeps coming up over and over again.

Windows is a trademark.  The companies name is Microsoft...it isn't windows.

The sames goes for Amiga...the companies name that made the trademark?  Maybe it was originally Lorraine...and then later Commodore, and then later Escom, and then Gateway, and then licensed to Amino...or some say still held by Gateway.

Of course, I doubt Gateway is going to take action here.

But its absurd to suggest that Amiga.org predates the Amiga trademark.

It just doesn't take any kind of lawyer to know that this site was created as a fan site for Amiga computers, and so OF COURSE it was created after the Amiga computer was created (and the trademark registered).

AHHH I just so doubt Gateway is really going to do anything about this site, that its just an idle threat on the part of Amiga, Inc.

but I will comment on your other thoughts, in a later thread...and see if I can clarify, or if I made any mistakes....give me a chance to find out more....

[MarkTime]

ok, to answer the other questions...

the lawyers are for suing in Federal Court.
You must demonstrate someone has a confusingly similar name (Amiga.org re: Amiga, Inc.) and that they are acting in bad faith.

Hense, I don't think my post was wrong, only that I didn't understand that its a bit more difficult for Amiga, Inc. to act in this case...as compared to my brothers.

this is u.s. law, btw, for people not familiar....

Anyway, my brother's case was easier, because he was dealing with a cyber squatter, who most definately was acting in bad faith.

Amiga.org is not acting in bad faith at all.

I wasn't suggesting they hit up Amiga, Inc for money...btw, only that Amiga, Inc. should offer money...(if they really want it)....

[MarkTime]

@t_bone,

I do agree with your assessment of the likely motivations of Amiga, Inc. and the concept of a domain name as an address.

I understand why Amiga, Inc. doesn't buy into the bajillion different domains now offered...thats very expensive (100's if you count all the country domains)...so, naturally, they wouldn't have registered Amiga.org, and naturally, they don't need it any more than they need amiga.net.

By the way, .net is supposed to be for ISPs but that is almost never enforced and you see, for example AmigaWorld.net....

Whatever happened to that, did Icann change the rules?

And AI would have a legitimate claim if say, Apple computer bought Amiga.org and started selling Macintoshes to the Amiga market.

I don't know exactly how this .org is an organization, I'm not familiar with the structure of this organization or how to become a member.  but I do know that this is legitimately a community bulletin board serving the interests of the Amiga community, and not a profit venture, even if it is subsidized by some banner ads.

So....I'm beating  a dead horse (not me!), but I think everything is good in the world, and I don't see Amiga, Inc. doing anything but making veiled threats....it seems that is their habit, judging from the various stories over the past year.