‘Bing! Information Design’ Sues Microsoft Over Bing Search Engine Name
Eric Calouro | Dec 18, 2009 | Comments 2
A small St. Louis-based organization by the name of Bing! Information Design is suing Microsoft for using the Bing name with their relatively new search (or decision) engine, Bing — which made its debut earlier this year. In Bing! Information Design LLC v. Microsoft Corporation the small company alleged that they have been using the Bing name since the year 2000, and have a trademark pending. Additionally, the small company states that Microsoft is hurting their advertising (which is done mostly through Google) with Bing advertisements (for the engine, of course) — citing that the ads are causing confusing to potential customers.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson, who spoke to Ars Technica, “We believe this suit to be without merit and we do not believe there is any confusion in the marketplace with regard to the complainant’s offerings and Microsoft’s Bing.”
The company alleges that Microsoft is responsible for: “trademark infringement, unfair competition, and tortious interference with business expectancy.”
Whether the small St. Louis firm actually has an argument here is up to a judge to decide. Certainly an interesting story, and we’ll keep following it.
Who do you think will prevail?
Filed Under: U.S.
Hard to say who’ll win, but there’s no need to change the I in “tortious” to a U. “Tortious” means “relating to or in the nature of a tort”; “tortuous” means “highly complex or convoluted.”
Ahh… spotted that during final revision and assumed it was an error. Thanks, and fixed.