[Baypiggies] Message sent to Suresh (baypiggies meetup)

[Stephen]

Thanks Glen & Bill for stepping in:
-1 on re-registering BayPIGgies as a different Meetup. We have a strong chance to compel Suresh to hand back the existing Meetup.Let us try that, as follows:
 - that Meetup contains 3+ years of our (BayPIGgies) event history, comments, links - this is different to the usual case of a Meetup "hostile takeover", where Meetup TOS offers   basically zero protection - this case is different because "BayPIGgies" already had a separate legal existence back to  1999, which long predated the Meetup. Apparently the term qualifies as an unregistered  "common-law" trademark. [IANAL].  - Suresh's name-change to "BayPRIGgies" looks fairly clearly like a case of typosquatting,   isn't good-faith use, and allowing that name to persist would continue the confusion. - when we regain the Meetup, I believe we can also compel Suresh to refund the dues he charged - IANAL, none of us is a lawyer, but Bill Deegan mentioned one of the PSF is, and may be available. - we should probably also register "BayPIGgies" as a trademark. This costs ~$300-500 and lasts 10 years.   It should guarantee that this situation can't recur.
So, my recommendation:i) quickly get lawyer to confirm the legal validity of "BayPIGgies" as an unregistered trademark since 1999ii) get lawyer to send both Suresh and Meetup a letter asserting our rights and asking them to hand back the Meetup to us (also refund any dues gathered by using the name)iii) only in the event all that fails, then move to a new domain name as Glen suggestediv) either way, register "BayPIGgies" as a trademark
Any +1 or -1 on this? I think regaining control of the Meetup quickly is preferable and achievable. Stephen

Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2016 09:42:37 -0800
From: glen at glenjarvis.com
To: berndca at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Baypiggies] Message sent to Suresh (baypiggies meetup)
CC: baypiggies at python.org

On Fri, Jan 15, 2016 at 7:25 AM, Bernd <berndca at gmail.com> wrote:
Suresh has changed the name of his meetup to BayPRIGgies which has the new url:

http://www.meetup.com/BayPRIGgies/

and added the following to the top of the groups home page:

Disclaimer:

We have nothing to do with the previous decades' organizations bearing the name BayPIGgies and the associated website or email.

This should allow us to recover our groups url and past meetups with the help of meetup tech support.
We would have to create a new meetup group for BayPIGgies.

I understand that this is certainly not an ideal route. However I this might be our easiest route right now.

What do you think?


I personally think this is the best plan going forward and I also had the same idea. I donated the original MeetUp site. I can donate a second (and then work with the Python Software Foundation to get it officially sponsored and controlled by the group.
Before I take any action, however, I will wait for 24 hours. Saturday morning, by 9:30 am, I will register the new domain. Please -1 or +1 so that I know the group consensus (or at least the group's feeling on this plan).
If we do this, all will be restored except those who made payment previously. It may feel like an injustice has occurred. And, it has on all fronts -- everyone has been negatively impacted by this. We want to be "made whole" -- and re-registering the domain would make us almost completely "whole" in this matter.
Please +1 if you wish for me to register BayPIGgies again with MeetUp (I will donate costs via my company). 
Please -1 if you don't wish for me to take this action.
In an absence of votes I will take this action tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 9:30 am.
Kindest Regards,

Glen Jarvis


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