It will be interesting to “know more” about this lawsuit.
A Florida broadcast video company has filed a lawsuit (pdf) against the owner of KnowMore.com claiming trademark infringement and cybersquatting.
NewsProNet, Inc. has a registered trademark for “Know More” for “Entertainment services in the nature of the production and distribution of recurring television news programs, reports and features in the field of consumer issues, health and medicine, family, money, weather and science. “, with a first use date of 1999.
But “Know More” is rather generic, and the history of the web site KnowMore.com doesn’t stand out as infringing.
KnowMore.com was recently a social media aggregator that appears to have shut down.
It’s also worth pointing out that in many parts of the world they say “know more” instead of “learn more”.
The only mention of “Know More” I can find on NewsProNet’s web site is a reference to “Know More TV”. (And that lacks any notice of it being a trademark.)
Yet according to NewsProNet “The KNOW MORE mark is an inherently distinctive trademark to both the public and trade in connection with licensed products and services”
The lawsuit states:
Upon information and belief, defendants have used the designation KNOWMORE.COM as both a trademark affixed to a product which it manufactures and
distributes in interstate commerce and as a tradename used in conjunction with its commerce-related Web site.
The lawsuit doesn’t contain any attachments backing up this statement. The site doesn’t currently resolve, nor have any active sites been captured on Archive.org or screenshots.com since 2010.
So, what do you think?
James says
I’d like to know more about this suit before I make a decision about an actual trademark violation taking place. (Whoops! Did I just violate their trademark too?) The more I learn, the less I know.
Richard Saperstein says
It’s getting to a point that every word, or combination of words is going to be a trademark violation. Next thing you know I wont be able to tell my wife “I LOVE YOU” because someone has a trademark on it. I’ll have to say “I RESPECT YOU” instead. (JK)
–
Richard
David M says
In todays society, you don’t actually have to violate a TM class to be in violation. Too much weight is being given to TM holders.
Patricia Kaehler says
Besides DNW (great site – source)
What are the other TOP 5 Sources to
find Current and Archived articles
Related to — CyberSquatting and
Domain Name Related Legal Filings ??
Post or e-it to Me… Thx
~Patricia Kaehler – DomainBELL
DomainBELL at Yahoo dot COM
.
.
John says
This is a ridiculous. Their are 4 others who have TM’s for Know More in 4 different industries. These guys aren’t entitled to it anymore than the other 4 & at the end of the day none of them are entitled to it unless they are willing to pay for the name or pick a better name to do business.
John says
It’s funny you mentioned KnowMore.com. 2 years ago the ONLY .info domain I had in my portfolio was, KnowMore.info. I paid $3 for it from someone on Namepros. KGB.com offered $1000 for it. I took it of course. lol 🙂
Ose says
It is becoming more interesting by the
day.
Everybody should start trademarking
all possible combination of English
words and phrases.
One day, luck will fall in our favour.
Someone or company somewhere will one
day infringe on our trademark.
Syed Azhar says
How about if I registered a domain name with tld .com. Suddenly I found, another domain have similar name with my domain name, but it fix with another tld,such as .net,.org etc.. so can I sue them as TM infringement??