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Originally Posted by John Thawley  Marianatic had nothing to do with the decision to go live. He was in on the early beta testing and was kind enough to put a link to the site when we went live. I appreciate his efforts.
The name was NOT changed. The URL was changed based on a request. I have absolutely NO problem with the request or changing the URL. The site is week old and have over 100 registrations.
If the site is to stand on its own, the URL will not be a deciding factor. Content, a reliable interface, fair and reasonable moderation and the quality of the participants WILL make the difference.
The goal and direction of the site has not changed. We remain committed to supporting and growing the fan base of the American Le Mans. NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
With that said, I'd invite you all to join me on the high road. The view is much better up here.
JT |
Well said.
I am sure most of you know this, but it is still worth saying.
Copyrights and Trademarks are tricky things. Neither are valid unless you actively protect that mark. This can lead to seemingly random, inconsistent and uneven application of rights by the owner of the mark. Even if something is good for the mark, and I think this site is good for the ALMS, they still have to protect the usage of the mark (brand name, trademark, etc).
Sometimes they go overboard with their protective actions, but that is usually better than the alternative in their eyes. There is a reason that we use Refrigerators and Murphy Beds today. They are generic now, but they used to be brand names. They were not protected properly and fell into general use.
Look at it this way. F1 actually polices Youtube and has any clips taken from their broadcasts and has them removed. You can't use "F1" "Formula One" "Formula 1" or any other combination of spelling and abbreviation for commercial or other material without F1's approval. You are thinking, "jeesh, I am just using the name so fans can find my site". But to the owners of the mark, that is something that must be protected or they lose the rights to that mark.
This is a simple change for this site and it won't hurt anything. Like JT says, it is the content that is important.
World Class(-action lawsuit) 
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