RE: MySQL.org

[Sander Pilon]

> 
> "Sander Pilon" <sander@stripped> writes:
> 
> > > I think all of us should send a letter to the people who 
> > > appropriated
> > > the MySQL.org name. In my opinion, if MySQL AB wants this 
> domain they 
> > > should have the right to it. To me, it is a show of 
> disrespect to the 
> > > fine folks at MySQL AB and I am disgusted that mysql.org 
> has chosen 
> > > to so blatantly violate trademark rights. I hope at least 
> that you do 
> > > not visit or contribute to the mysql.org Web site.
> > > 
> > 
> > Rule number one on the internet: If you have a trademark, GET THE 
> > .COM, .NET, .ORG, .CC and .CX ASAP!!!
> 
> That shouldn't be necesarry - if you have a trademark, you 
> have it[1]. Getting domains you don't need shouldn't be 
> necesarry - even if Coca-Cola hadn't owned cocacola.org, no 
> others would have the right to do so. 
> 
> > The fine folks at MySQL ignored that rule, and are now left with a 
> > rotten situation. IMHO, their own fault - and the way they try to 
> > resolve it is, IMHO, not the right way and somewhat typical 
> for large 
> > american corporations like MS.
> 
> It's eventually the right way - they shouldn't have to own it 
> if they don't need it. Having a trademark means that only you 
> can use it, not that you have to use it for everything or everywhere.
> 
> Of course, nice mails and so on should be attempted first, 
> but after that they have right to use whatever means 
> necesarry to make infringers stop using it.
> 
> 
> [1] Unless your claim is utterly bogus, like the person trademarking
>     Linux. He was eventually forced to give it to Linus.

I do not deny their claim on the trademark OR domain, but I am somewhat
unpleasantly surprised by the means they try to resolve this matter, and
the fact that nobody in a what I assume is an internet-aware company
like MySQL even considered getting the .org and .net before others did. 

The fees for whoever wrote that PR statement are worth at least 3 years
of MySQL.org/net/com registration fees, if not way more. If a company
likes to spend its precious time in court, argueing over domains, then
by all means - don't register any .net/.org domains. But at less than
$17 a year/domain, getting them is certainly the wise thing to do. 

-Sander