We need new abbreviations

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 12970
Date: 2002-04-01

In 1998, Microsoft Corp., accused (oh, how unfairly) of stealing the name "Internet Explorer" from Synet Inc., agreed to pay $5 million to Synet's trustees to end a legal battle over the use of the name. In return, Microsoft now owns Synet's trademark registrations for the name "Internet Explorer" in the state of Illinois. This includes the abbreviation "IE", which is regarded by Microsoft as a copyrighted product and a legally protected brand name. Microsoft's lawyers have just notified eGroups that the unauthorised use of the abbreviation "IE" on the Internet (regardless of its actual reference) will qualify as copyright infringement and all necessary legal steps will be taken to discourage it. We are therefore requested to invent a new abbreviation for "Indo-European" or to use the unabbreviated term. "PIE" cannot be used either, since it has also been copyrighted as the abbreviated form of of "Personalized Internet Experience" ("The Microsoft PIE").
 
Piotr