[extropy-chat] Extropic Freedom and the Fate of Dissidents

[David Lubkin]

Natasha asked:

>Mike's list cannot be an Exi-Freedom because that would be an 
>infringement on ExI's name.  Can you verify?

and Russell Wallace replied:

>It isn't, it's extro-freedom.

The list *was* called exi-freedom, and was renamed to extro-freedom 
two years ago. At which occasion, Mike posted to that group:

>Hey all, this change became necessary due to a polite request by Max 
>More that we not use the term "ExI", claiming a trademarked right to 
>that term. The new name for the group is "extro-freedom", which is 
>not much of a change, but enough to avoid any legal issues.

I certainly welcome peaceable relations and courtesy within our 
community but neither Max nor Extropy Institute had or have any 
legally enforceable rights to "ExI".

The reasons are many, but you can sanity-check this with a simple 
trademark search --

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=login&p_lang=english&p_d=trmk

Greg doesn't specialize in IP law, but he probably knows enough 
anyway to opine. *My* read is that the only way you could stop 
someone from using ExI in the name of a mailing list would be to make 
yourself a $cientology-grade pest until they or their list host gave 
in to make you go away.


-- David.