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Rumor · Nov 2, 2006, 02:40 PM

Ohio Company Utube.com Sues YouTube

Can youtube.com really be held responsible for the increase in traffic? I doubt it. I also doubt this will get far with the Google muscle behind youtub now.

Dakar² · Nov 2, 2006, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

I also doubt this will get far with the Google muscle behind youtub now.

I bet that's why they sued. They know Google has much deeper pockets then youtube.

Rumor · Nov 2, 2006, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I bet that's why they sued. They know Google has much deeper pockets then youtube.

Good point. Considering the youtube pockets were inverted.

Dark Helmet · Nov 2, 2006, 03:39 PM

"The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court, asks that YouTube Inc. stop using the youtube.com or pay Universal Tube's cost for creating a new domain."

1) How about if they shut the hell up and start using thousands of hits to their advantage.
2) I'll send them the $10 for a new domain if they stop wasting everyones time.

::maroma:: · Nov 2, 2006, 03:59 PM

Wow what a stupid lawsuit. Is there even a precedent for this? How can someone with a domain name that is different than the other guy be responsible for stupid people who are making a mistake?

I predict this crap gets thrown out of court. Its obvious that they are suing because they want some of Google's cash.

Mastrap · Nov 2, 2006, 04:08 PM

Girkins has said the company was looking to sell the Web address and find a new home for its Web site.

Says it all really. Looks like a cheap publicity stunt to me. Hope they get clobbered with the legal costs.

Person Man · Nov 2, 2006, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Mastrap

Says it all really. Looks like a cheap publicity stunt to me. Hope they get clobbered with the legal costs.

It's stupid sh*t like this that makes me wish the US had a "loser pays all court costs" system like a lot of other countries. It would REALLY cut down on the frivolous law suits.

And don't give me any of that "it will shut out legitimate complaints" bullsh*t either.

Dark Helmet · Nov 2, 2006, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Person Man

It's stupid sh*t like this that makes me wish the US had a "loser pays all court costs" system like a lot of other countries. It would REALLY cut down on the frivolous law suits.

I thought it did?

They do in Canada.

Person Man · Nov 2, 2006, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

I thought it did?

They do in Canada.

In Canada, yes. In the UK, yes. Here in the United States, no.

The United States is full of people who don't want to take personal responsibility for anything any more. Trip in the parking lot of the grocery store? Sue them! Ignore your doctor's advice to quit smoking and develop lung cancer? Sue him! YouTube is obviously trying to hurt utube's business. Sue them!

andi*pandi · Nov 2, 2006, 10:13 PM

I dont' get it. All they need to do is buy their new domain, universaltube.com (the internet could use some!) and have two lines of text on utube.com that point to their new site and youtube, fill the rest of the site with google ads.

step 3 = profit?

Eug · Nov 2, 2006, 10:15 PM

You'd think they'd want more hits.

Eriamjh · Nov 2, 2006, 10:18 PM

Stop being youtube fanboys. Sometimes a legitimate problem results in a lawsuit.

Actually, youtube IS directly responsible for the problems that utube was having. Although it may not be intentional, there is a direct relationship to one company rising and the other incurring costs. However, I don't feel it is worth suing over. So change the domain. They should have offered to sell the utube.com domain to youtube or negotiated with them to offset the server costs. There is always a better way than suing.

It's like a porn site having a similar domain name as your personal site. Imagine if your phone number was two digits off from a sex line! Would you feel they were responsible for all the mistaken calls to your address? Damn right you would! But is it really any different from having a similar number as an ordinary citizen? Only the number of mistake calls is increased when it is a "popular" similar number.

utube had the misfortune of have a similar name to a HUGELY popular site.

My ruling. utube gets nothing. That's life, folks. Roll with it. Stop your bitching and adapt. Perhaps the suit is a cheap way to get some press and educate stupid intarweb users to go to youtube instead of utube? In the end, a small settlement gets no press.

Doofy · Nov 2, 2006, 10:31 PM

Since utube.com don't sell any 12AX7's they should be sued for wasting my time with a misleading domain name.

And since YouTube.com doesn't have any videos of Shakira naked on it, they should also be sued for wasting my time.

As should everyone here, for dragging me into this thread.

Eug · Nov 2, 2006, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

Stop being youtube fanboys. Sometimes a legitimate problem results in a lawsuit.

I hate YouTube.

I also think utube's lawsuit is completely moronic.

Rumor · Nov 2, 2006, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

I Imagine if your phone number was two digits off from a sex line!

There's a possibility I might not complain about that.

Eug · Nov 2, 2006, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

There's a possibility I might not complain about that.

Rumor likes random phone calls from dirty old men.

Azzgunther · Nov 3, 2006, 10:05 AM

""We've had to move our site five times in an effort to stay ahead of the youtube.com visitors," said Ralph Girkins, Universal Tube's president."

How the hell could this be true? One web address change to "utubeproducts.com" or similar should have solved the problem and kept their crap out of the courts. Sometimes I hate our legal system.

davesimondotcom · Nov 3, 2006, 10:48 AM

Stupid lawsuit.

G4ME · Nov 3, 2006, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Azzgunther

""We've had to move our site five times in an effort to stay ahead of the youtube.com visitors," said Ralph Girkins, Universal Tube's president."

I think they were refering to moving hosting locations, but maybe not.

Rumor · Nov 3, 2006, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

Rumor likes random phone calls from dirty old men.

Hey, women call phone sex lines too.

torsoboy · Nov 3, 2006, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Person Man

And don't give me any of that "it will shut out legitimate complaints" bullsh*t either.

I think that is a very valid point... you could never bring a lawsuit against a bigger company because their company might hire 100 expensive lawyers that could somehow win the case and instead of paying your $50/hr lawyer you now would need to pay your $50/hour lawyer plus 100 $300/hr lawyers because they found loop in the law. Not everyone who is right wins you know. It would definitely shut out legitimate complaints.

Atheist · Nov 3, 2006, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Eriamjh

It's like a porn site having a similar domain name as your personal site. Imagine if your phone number was two digits off from a sex line! Would you feel they were responsible for all the mistaken calls to your address? Damn right you would!

Huh? No one in their right mind would. If someone types in the wrong URL or enters the wrong phone number it's their own fault. No one elses. It's simple. If I turn down Park Ave. instead of Park St. do I sue the city for naming it Park St.?

Eug · Nov 3, 2006, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

Hey, women call phone sex lines too.

Rumor likes random phone calls from dirty old men and dirty old women.

Rumor · Nov 3, 2006, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Eug

Rumor likes random phone calls from dirty old men and dirty old women.

That's better. Can't have the authorities called on me for not being equal opportunity.

Eriamjh · Nov 4, 2006, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by Atheist

Huh? No one in their right mind would. If someone types in the wrong URL or enters the wrong phone number it's their own fault. No one elses. It's simple. If I turn down Park Ave. instead of Park St. do I sue the city for naming it Park St.?

You have it backwards. In your example, you are the surfer ending up at the wrong website. The users aren't suing utube.com.

In your example, the person who lives on Park St. would be suing the person on Park Ave. for causing the confusion (or the city).

The lawsuit is just a way for a small company to recover some money from a much larger company now owned by Google. They want some compensation for the problems they are having. Mabe a little press, too.

They won 't win much if anything. Maybe it will also help youtube surfers not go to utube, too.

JoshuaZ · Nov 4, 2006, 11:23 AM

If theres one thing I hate, its that jerk at joshzimmerman.com. I mean honestly, people go there thinking its me, but its not. He's just leeching off my super stardom on the internet. To hell with you josh zimmerman. A curse on your house and a pox on your first born! I hope your server crashes.

mac1896 · Nov 4, 2006, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Atheist

Huh? No one in their right mind would. If someone types in the wrong URL or enters the wrong phone number it's their own fault. No one elses. It's simple. If I turn down Park Ave. instead of Park St. do I sue the city for naming it Park St.?

Absolutely !