Flutterby™! : Battlebots.com vs. battlebots.org

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Battlebots.com vs. battlebots.org

2001-09-01 11:01:32+00 by Larry Burton 2 comments

I enjoy the show Battlebots but their lawyers are doing their best to keep me from that enjoyment. Read this and then you may want to send email here.

[ related topics: Intellectual Property Law ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:36+00 by: TheSHAD0W

FYI, Battlebots applied for their trademark well before Battlebots.org registered their domain. Further, the company that holds Battlebots.org isn't quite as lily-white as they might pose. Check the thread here for more information.

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:32:36+00 by: Larry Burton

The only problem I see with battlebots.org's status as a victim of Battlebots, the TV show's lawyers is their claim that they held the domain prior to Battlebots being filed for as a trademark by the Comedy Central show. It's hard for me to believe that this is a deliberate attempt to mislead since it is so simple to prove or disprove this claim. I tend to believe it to be more of a misunderstanding on battlebots.org's part.

My problem with the Comedy Central show, "Battlebots", in this matter is that they are going after someone using the .org domain for a purpose completely unrelated to mechanical robots fighting in an arena for trademark infringement. It also bothers me that battlebots.org offered to settle the matter for a piddling sum of $5962 and the Battlebots, the show, lawyers absolutely shut the negotions off with a "no, do it our way or we will cause you to spend untold legal fees defending yourself".

It's a moot point now. According to the information now posted on battlebots.org, Mr. Lyons has agreed to Battlebots, the tv show's demands and is turning over the domain to them in return for being reimbursed his $70 registration fee. He's also requesting that no one send email to the show because he is afraid of these being used in a slander suit against him. Evidently Mr. Lyons is not quite the lily-white victim just as you indicated might be the case.