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Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Wed, Jun 20th 2001 12:06am





MIT's Tech Review Sues AOL And CNET

from the I'm-not-taking-sides dept

Okay. So, I know that people from MIT's Tech Review read Techdirt, and often contact me about the site. I also know that people at AOL-Time Warner read the site (and contact me as well). And, as most of you know, we have a pretty close relationship with a bunch of folks at CNET as well. So, I refuse to take any sides whatsoever in the lawsuit involving all three companies. MIT's Technology Review is suing AOL and CNET for working on a magazine called Fortune/CNet Technology Review. Oh, what the hell. MIT has used that name for over a hundred years. Anyone who reads technology news associates the words "Technology Review" with MIT. If I were AOL and CNET, I'd come up with a different name. Hell, with the way these tech/business magazines are going under, I'm sure there will be plenty of options to steal a defunct name. For example, there's Business 2.0 which AOL already bought...

4 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    No Subject Given

    identicon
    Dude, Jun 20th, 2001 @ 7:51pm

    Oh, what the hell. MIT has used that name for over a hundred years. Anyone who reads technology news associates the words "Technology Review" with MIT. If I were AOL and CNET, I'd come up with a different name.

    You are kidding, right? What's next? Will MIT also sue the National Review and Harvard Law Review?

    If AOL or CNET was using the word "MIT" in their title that might make sense. But "Technology Review" is awfully generic.

    Hey, while MIT's at it why don't they sue all the other universities that follow the XIT pattern? Florida/California/Etc Institute of Technology, etc.

    Perhaps this really signals the increasing irrelevance of MIT to our economy and world.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Re: No Subject Given

    icon
    Mike (profile), Jun 20th, 2001 @ 10:08pm

    Well, it's not the word "review", but the combination of "Technology Review" which has been associated with the MIT magazine for as long as I can remember, and certainly longer than I've been alive... I'd say they have a pretty strong case. They do have a trademark on it...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    I Concur

    identicon
    Duffman, Jun 21st, 2001 @ 7:51am

    I mean, I could start my own magazine called Time - it's a pretty generic word, right? And no one would confuse it with the Time magazine that's been operating for decades...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Re: I Concur

    identicon
    Dude, Jun 23rd, 2001 @ 10:06pm

    Then you would be copying the name exactly. But what if I wanted to come out with a magazine called the Seattle Enquirer? Would I now be open to lawsuits by the National Enquirer?

    Mike, do your feelings about "Techonology Review" have anything to do with your going to MIT? Did you? I honestly have never even heard of this magazine, and I have done quite well in technology.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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