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