Jews For Jesus sueing Google

[XNine]

Check it out: http://news.com.com/Jews+for+Jesus+sues+Google+over+blog/2100-1030_3-6006466.html?tag=nefd.top

Christian evangelical group Jews for Jesus is suing Google, saying a Web log hosted through the Internet search leader's Blogspot service infringes its trademark.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York on Wednesday, seeks to force Google to give Jews for Jesus control of the site as well as unspecified monetary damages.

"We have a right to our own name and Google has allowed the use of our name on Blogspot without our permission," said Susan Perlman, associate executive director with Jews for Jesus.

"Our reputation is at stake," Perlman told Reuters.

Google's Blogspot and Blogger services allow people to set up Web logs, or online journals known as "blogs" for short, for free. A Google spokesman declined to comment, saying the firm had not yet reviewed the lawsuit.

The disputed blog, jewsforjesus.blogspot.com, was started in January 2005 by someone taking the name "Whistle Blower" and airing critical views of the San Francisco-based organization, which seeks to convert Jews to Christianity.

The site has only three entries, the last of which was made on May 9.

Comments on the blog showed that Jews for Jesus attempted to persuade Whistle Blower to transfer the domain to the group but was rebuffed.

Perlman said the critical tone was not behind the suit.

"One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that there is freedom of expression, but there should be a protection...so that organizations like ours can represent ourselves," Perlman said.

This is taken from one of the commentors:
Who Would Jesus Sue?

[mkrishnan]

Heh...nice.... I guess there is a supporting tradition that a well-known organization (and this one is at least modestly known) should have the right to use their own name.

But the usage by this person also sounds fair -- since the name was being used in the process of raising public awareness of her/his views about the group. If I want to start a site that tries to publish non-libelous, non-defamatory information regarding to the wrong-doings of...say...Apple, I'm allowed to use Apple's name in the process, aren't I? Should Macrumors get sued purely because it has "mac" in the title? That doesn't seem reasonable, and in the past, that sort of thing has been considered a fair use, as long as I properly represent (and don't misrepresent) my relationship with the organization in question. It doesn't seem to me that this site is mis-representative....

I guess I can see both sides of the namespace coin, but awarding monetary damages is ludicrous though. Google and other sites that host blogs and other accounts of various kinds should not be burdened with doing a prior precedent check on every account name. If I registered jewsforjesus@gmail.com or something ridiculous like that, Google should not incur financial liability purely because I do not represent the organization. That kind of precedent would bode poorly for the net as a whole....

[dubbz]

So... if I made a subdomain for my domain called jewsforjesus.selune.net, they should have a right to it? I'd say that's ********.

[mactastic]

Hmmm... I wonder if the Evangelicals will be employing the services of one of those nasty evil trial lawyers...

[jefhatfield]

there is freedom of the press and it's a very important right we have in this country, but that does not protect cybersquatting

at first, many didn't have a strong point of view on the practice of cybersquatting, who do it waiting for buyout of domain or huge settlement to cease and desist, but it wouldn't be much different from me taking the exact red coca cola logo and use it for my newly invented softdrink/other product

common sense should rule here and i really think jews for jesus is doing it to protect their name and not to make a buck by suing somebody

[Lazyhound]

there is freedom of the press and it's a very important right we have in this country, but that does not protect cybersquattingYour point would be valid only if he was using jewsforjesus.(com/org/us).