Current Threatens to Sue Jon Raymond

So tell me, if I had a current shirt (or even a bumper sticker) made could I be sued? I realllyyy want one and yet there's no store or any place that sells them on the interwebz.

Here's the kicker in case you missed it. There's a group here on Current called Under Current.... (the very same moniker that Current wants to sue over) which touts my offending website. I guess they can't sue themselves.
http://current.com/groups/under-current/

What do you expect Jon?
I followed the linked page and it does not seem that its the actual word CURRENT that is the concern. Apparently, it is over the same "Current..." style or typed format...

For all the little nasties whose posts are bashing against CurrentTV... WTF?WHY are you a member of a social/news site that you think is unethical?

I certainly hope that a courtroom & taxpayers $ is not going to be wasted on this.

can't copyright a word, phrase or name. the difference between trademark and name may be fuzzy and I'm no lawyer, and given that current themselves could be sued over use of the word 'current' because there are electrical companies out there with current in their name... they should just shut up and only complain if you're making money on their format, but then they'd have to prove a right to such a format by providing perhaps a patent or something.

Jon, this is what legal departments are paid to do. Understand that like every other business with a public image, there is a firm which is hired to defend their name, trademarks, etc. You have violated their trademark name by using in it in a sub-domain. This is reason for action.

Posting this letter back to their website was not a bright idea. You obviously don't have anyone giving you legal advice on the matter.

Also - the only reason I am commenting here is because you suggested the story to me (and probably hundreds of other random people who could care less about you). I happen to be a fan of CurrentTV, but I despise this website. Mostly because of people like you.

Have a nice day. And you should take the advice of this letter. Otherwise, your site will eventually be removed and you will be charged for all legal services that it takes.

This is just silly.

Jon Raymond. YOu have the power. And Current knows it . BRING THEM DOWN!

Perhaps I should have sued Current back in 1999 when they copied my business plan that I created for my degree program in Media Production and Design. I am not saying they got their hands on a copy of my business plan, but their original website worked almost exactly as I described my website and TV station idea to be.

I created a business plan and submitted it to the University of Oregon business plan competition. My plan was for a site very similar to what Current started out as. Now I laugh because, my plan was solid and it is still viable, I just didn't have a rich man to back me up and make it real. But I swear, after my business plan went out there into the world, I saw many sites that had very similar ideas to mine become realities.

The same thing happened to me when I submitted material to film festivals. My work would be rejected, but then suddenly I saw student films emerge that suspiciously had the same ideas as my work. Then I found out that many of the so called film festivals that you send scripts to often steal people's ideas, that is why they hold the festivals in the first place, because they know "you can't copyright or trademark an idea".

I hate to say it, but you are in the wrong. Just change your name, and be done with it. If you choose to pursue this, Current will bury you in legalities. Companies that spend money on making something theirs are generally not happy when another company imitates them with a similar name...

This is just standard business procedures. I thought it was kind of ironic for current to be the one pursuing it but i dont think it should be #1 for so long.

lol wtf

i find it funny current is trying to censor someone else. but then again, that's nothing new from them. good luck with that. they're the same as any other company, they just have a much better facade

I would suggest what others have. Take out an R, make the C a K, or even add an ly and call it Currently. Funny too because I remember when the station was first going up they were sued by an Ohio radio station I believe that stated they had the same name... but it's still here. It's not just the word, but the style and the intent.

Just call your site, "Currant", after all, life is just a bowl of cherries.

Jon Raymond, we tend to be on the same side in most issues. However, I often find your comments on current to be overly hostile and offensive, which is not a very effective way to conduct debate. I'm not a fan of the litigious nature of this situation, but I would not want my name being used in connection with yours either.

take an R out

under curent. then they cant really say shit.

they arent calling them selves current DOT DOT DOT
they are under current.

you guys are stupid and being greedy. you guys are sucking now.
like a suck tard.

It's just a "trademark" infringement. They usually back off if you change the name (been there . . .) besides they don't want to spend the money for attorney fees any more than you do.

Change the name to Kurrent, or what V suggested.

I also have a Ning network at http://outinthestreet.ning.com. All are welcome.

http://www.infowars.com/census-gps-a-missile-at-your-door/

That lawsuit has as much credibility as the census using GPS to aim missiles at your door since their was very little resemblance between the sites.

Although there is a similar kind of attempt at attention grabbing bewteen the 2 stories.

Frankly, I find it both sad and very petty.

What the heck is ning.

Given the recent budget crunch and successive rounds of layoffs and reduction in content on Current, it's good to see they're still managing to employ lawyers!

Somebody has turned to the dark side ...

"Based on the foregoing, effective immediately, we hereby demand that you cease and desist infringement of Current's trademarks and trade dress including, without limitation, the immediate removal of Current's Material from your service,..."

That's rich, since Current thrives almost exclusively on material from other websites - i.e. excerpts from news and other websites, and photographs from other websites. Also, where on your blog is there any trace of Current's trademarks, trade dress, and material?

That is some BS Jon. I really hate what's happened to Current. This is not the the Website/Network I fell in love with over two years ago.