
MaxMind trademark trolling – they own “geoip”? - mitak
https://imgur.com/PdJyosv
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cheald
[http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/q?db=tm&qt=sno&reel...](http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/q?db=tm&qt=sno&reel=&frame=&sno=78229697)

Not trolling. That's their IP. I wouldn't fight that fight.

~~~
mitak
Ah I see :(

Doesn't everyone say "geoip" though? / how else would we describe such a
service? I thought there was something against trademarking commonly used
words that describe generic things.

No plans to fight it. But it seems brutal... considering geoip.app is
free/open-source/non-commercial, links to their site for those interested in
licensing more accurate data, and "geoip" seems to be in use elsewhere (e.g.
geoip.com).

~~~
cheald
Everyone says "Google" to mean "do an internet search". It's still a
registered trademark and you can't promote your own product using that name.

The term "IP address geolocation" is common and descriptive enough, and isn't
trademarked. The mark "GeoIP" is MaxMind's trademark for their particular IP
geolocation service, and isn't something you can use just because you're
familiar with the term, regardless of if the application is free/open
source/whatever.

While you likely mean well, MaxMind has a legal and practical obligation to
defend their mark, which means issuing C&Ds for people who are using it
without a license to do so.

~~~
mitak
I agree from an ethical point of view and will change the domain.

> Everyone says "Google" to mean "do an internet search". It's still a
> registered trademark and you can't promote your own product using that name.

You're right, but there are counterexamples. [I'm not a lawyer but...] There
is such a thing as a "generic trademark" where former trademarks like
"Escalator", "Thermos", "Hovercraft", "Videotape", "Teleprompter", "Aspirin"
etc. have been "genericized".

Apparently Google won their lawsuit because "Google" is a very distinctive
word.

For me "geoip" felt/sounded generic and I see a lot of geolocation plugins and
services using the term in their names, descriptions, etc.

~~~
Terretta
Very selective counter examples.

The list of ‘nope, still protected’ is longer, including Kleenex and bubble
wrap.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_generici...](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks)

And contrary to Wikipedia, I think you’ll find only Thermos gets away with
Thermos.

The term geoip is certainly theirs. While we offered competing techniques
built into our service, they were the first I heard use that. Then everyone
subscribed their DB and called it that.

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floatingatoll
If I was MaxMind, I’d also be filing an ICANN trademark claim to takeover
control of that domain from you.

~~~
alam2000
It takes longer time through ICANN. Ceast and desist is the cheaper and faster
way.

~~~
floatingatoll
Cease and desist does not result in control of GEOIP.APP, but is absolutely
useful as a stopgap while the ICANN paperwork goes through.

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Malp
They do in fact own the term GeoIP ([http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?Search_Arg=Ge...](http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?Search_Arg=Geoip&Search_Code=TALL&PID=4cQjd5vOeUpvKwEgAdAu6nVdwEEFD&SEQ=20190102160730&CNT=25&HIST=1)),
so it looks like renaming and migrating to a new domain name is your best
option.

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rajacombinator
Seems pretty legit to me, ie. not simply “trolling” ... (IANAL)

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erulabs
Time for pioeg.com? This is a good idea, but I believe this service is also
one of the things they charge for, and they do own the rights. Sorry mate :(

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Operyl
Hate to say it, but I wouldn't really consider this trolling.

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piyh
time to register geographicIP.app

