4 ms·

"What I’m really interested in is developing the community and service, and – on a bigger scale – the open web. I’m not interested in pouring my time and resour

"What I’m really interested in is developing the community and service, and – on a bigger scale – the open web. I’m not interested in pouring my time and resources into an open-ended legal confrontation." Your legal opinions aside, his choice is quite reasonable. Not everyone wants to fight the good fight. Or when you were cutting them some slack last week and emailing free advice, did you also have your wallet open for his legal fund?

ErrantX 17y ago
He didnt need a legal fund; a polite letter or simply ignoring them would have sufficed. There were no lawyers involved. They had no case :)
- jhancock 17y ago
  I do understand your point of view. Ignoring it was a valid option. However, if he ignored it and the other side actually filed suit, now you have real costs without regard to the suit's merit. These guys made a decision to not let this tie up any further time or potential cost. It does feel like they rolled over too easily, but hey, its their decision.
  - ErrantX 17y ago
    I seriously doubt the court would accept a suit straight up like that. At the very least they would have had to send a legal take down letter. What he got was a personal note from the owner (or whatever); it might have been couched in legalese but there was no legal document :) People get these letters all the time; best to just ignore them (or send a polite but short response). Hey yes it's his decision to roll over; I'd never use Gnolia now though. He hasn't exhibited any common sense.
    - jhancock 17y ago
      I have been involved in court cases. Here is my experience: you don't win. You don't get your money back for legal costs. At best, you get to decide when to walk away, let go, and get back to your business if your lucky enough that its still viable after all the energy and money you put into the fight. Courts do not decide to "accept a suit". A judge acts on "evidence" presented by each side, they do not provide their own advice or due diligence in the case. A plaintiff files and the other side defends. Both sides immediately assume costs. If the court does throw the case out for lack of standing, jurisdiction, or other preliminary matter, ok, the defendant "won" that round, but you don't get your money or time back. If you want your money back, you have to either counter sue or petition for it. This puts more time and money at risk. Its a very tough call to decide when to give up or fight. This guy made the decision that his name was not the most important aspect of his business and decided not to fight very early. I think he acted on common sense. Sure he could have waited and gotten drawn into a suit. He decided not to and that is a sign he wants to focus on his product and users, not worry about a moral victory over a name.

ErrantX 17y ago

He didnt need a legal fund; a polite letter or simply ignoring them would have sufficed. There were no lawyers involved. They had no case :)

jhancock 17y ago
I do understand your point of view. Ignoring it was a valid option. However, if he ignored it and the other side actually filed suit, now you have real costs without regard to the suit's merit. These guys made a decision to not let this tie up any further time or potential cost. It does feel like they rolled over too easily, but hey, its their decision.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  I seriously doubt the court would accept a suit straight up like that. At the very least they would have had to send a legal take down letter. What he got was a personal note from the owner (or whatever); it might have been couched in legalese but there was no legal document :) People get these letters all the time; best to just ignore them (or send a polite but short response). Hey yes it's his decision to roll over; I'd never use Gnolia now though. He hasn't exhibited any common sense.
  - jhancock 17y ago
    I have been involved in court cases. Here is my experience: you don't win. You don't get your money back for legal costs. At best, you get to decide when to walk away, let go, and get back to your business if your lucky enough that its still viable after all the energy and money you put into the fight. Courts do not decide to "accept a suit". A judge acts on "evidence" presented by each side, they do not provide their own advice or due diligence in the case. A plaintiff files and the other side defends. Both sides immediately assume costs. If the court does throw the case out for lack of standing, jurisdiction, or other preliminary matter, ok, the defendant "won" that round, but you don't get your money or time back. If you want your money back, you have to either counter sue or petition for it. This puts more time and money at risk. Its a very tough call to decide when to give up or fight. This guy made the decision that his name was not the most important aspect of his business and decided not to fight very early. I think he acted on common sense. Sure he could have waited and gotten drawn into a suit. He decided not to and that is a sign he wants to focus on his product and users, not worry about a moral victory over a name.