Right after Microsoft is hit with a $1.5 Billion fine over copyright infringement (though they are fighting back), they've been sued yet again, this time over Office. In particular, the "Office Live" name, which Microsoft is using to push their various "Live" products, is shared by another company. The company runs various professional advice websites, which has little or nothing to do with Office software. They've owned the name Office Live for five years. Initially, they were in talks with Microsoft. Obviously those have failed and now they are heading for the courts:
"It is shocking that Microsoft would have so little regard for another company's intellectual property rights that it would select a name belonging to another company," Lenny Targon, Office Live chief executive, said in a statement. "Online software may be the next big thing, but Microsoft has no right to use our trademark without permission."
Microsoft hasn't issued a statement yet. Does the small company have a point? If you search for Office Live on Google, the first two full pages are related directly to MS. The other company doesn't show up until the very last entry on the second page. I sure wouldn't want to share a name with MS, either.