SAN FRANCISCO - Christian evangelical group Jews for Jesus is suing Google Inc., saying a Web log hosted through the Internet search leader's Blogspot service infringes its trademark.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York on Wednesday, seeks to force Google to give Jews for Jesus control of the site as well as unspecified monetary damages.
"We have a right to our own name and Google has allowed the use of our name on Blogspot without our permission," said Susan Perlman, associate executive director with Jews for Jesus.
"Our reputation is at stake," Perlman told Reuters.
Google's Blogspot and Blogger services allow people to set up Web logs, or online journals known as "blogs" for short, for free. A Google spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the lawsuit.
The disputed blog, http://jewsforjesus.blogspot.com, was started in January 2005 by someone taking the name "Whistle Blower" and airing critical views of the San Francisco-based organization, which seeks to convert Jews to Christianity.
The site has only three entries, the last of which was made on May 9.
Comments on the blog showed that Jews for Jesus attempted to persuade Whistle Blower to transfer the domain to the group but was rebuffed.
Perlman said the critical tone was not behind the suit.
"One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that there is freedom of expression, but there should be a protection ... so that organizations like ours can represent ourselves," Perlman said.
7 comments:
"Perlman said the critical tone was not behind the suit."
Heh. Heh heh heh! Hahahahahhahah!!
Right.
Looks like the blog being sued is giving your website added attention. Most of the information on your site is pretty old. Does this mean everything is ok with jfj now and this whistleblower guy is just blowing smoke?
Jews For Jesus Sue Google
By Antone Gonsalves, TechWeb News
Jews For Jesus, a Christian evangelical group, said Friday it has sued Google Inc., claiming the search engine has failed to respond to requests that it drop from its Blogger service a blog that uses the group's name.
The San Francisco-based group filed the suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New York, Susan Perlman, associate executive director of Jews For Jesus, said. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Perlmam said the organization, dedicated to converting Jews to Christianity, sent two letters to Mountain View, Calif.-based, Google, asking that the blog jewsforjesus.blogspot.com be dropped.
"They were unresponsive," Perlman said.
Google was not immediately available for comment.
Someone who goes by the name of "Whistle Blower" writes the blog. Jews for Jesus has tried unsuccessfully to identify the person, Perlman said.
On Friday, the blogger posted comments addressed to "Jews For Jesus Employees" that were difficult to understand. In general, he claimed the group was not trying to defend its trademark.
"This is Jews for Jesus on the offense," said the blogger, who started the blog in January 2005 to "provide a forum for people to discuss the goings on at Jews For Jesus."
Perlman, however, said the sole reason for the suit is to protect the name the organization has used for more than 30 years.
"It's our name and we want to protect it," she said.
In 1998, Jews for Jesus filed a suit against Steven Brodsky, an Orthodox Jew who registered the Internet domain name www.jewsforjesus.org. Brodsky was critical of the group, calling it a "cult," according to the Anti-Defamation League. A judge issued a preliminary injunction against Brodsky, who then dropped the name.
I'm sure this ex-jfj website is getting more traffic than ever before as a result of JfJ's lawsuit against Google. Your site/blog certainly has been an eyeopener for me! My guesss is that the lawsuit is just a smokescreen: I bet they're dying to know who this whistle blower is and just want to shut him/her up...and get plenty of press and make lotsa bucks.
Maybe that's why DB said they haven't ruled out suing whistleblower. After reading Mimi Finesilver's story, threatening to sue is in their bag o' tricks.
If wb is a christian, how do you think DB or MR would get out of the "don't take christians to secular court"? Probably something like, "It wouldn't be us suing the Christian, it would be our lawyers."
Whistleblower's blog is gone ... what's up with that? Did JFJ win the lawsuit?
You all should be aware of some of the tricks being played by rabbi mordecai tendler. I think he got his idea of going after google from reading what's happening with you or from one of his biggest supporters, tovia singer.
Read the following article
Rabbi Challenges Right to Anonymity on Internet.
http://www.forward.com/articles/8103
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