More bizarre internet trademark disputes

GTAA v. urinal.net: Apparently, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority has threatened urinal.net with legal action if they don't remove all trace of the GTAA's name from the site.

Via Techdirt who asks and interestingly observes:

"on what legal authority the GTAA is claiming you cannot name their organization or their airports. It's not likely that anyone is going to be confused into believing that urinal.net is the official website of the Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport. These days, people seem very quick to pull out legal threats any time anyone so much as mentions their name on a website."

Maybe trademark dilution or tarnishment? Not a winning argument, but probably not a frivolous one either. It's sad that the threat and high costs of litigation can curb free speech rights, especially in a case like this where someone is just saying 'the toilet in this picture exists in this [real place].'

Currently Listening: White America by Eminem