They’re at it again!
They're at it again! Media24, website owner fight over '24', via MyADSL:
Listed media group Naspers' subsidiary Media24, which holds the group's print and internet titles, has sent a letter to www.RENTALS24.co.za and sister company www.BONDS24.co.za, insisting that the websites stop using 24 in their company names.
But the websites' owner, Christopher Riley, said Media24 were bullies and that he was prepared to contest the right to use the number. He was issued with the letter in November last year.
You may remember three years ago, Naspers tried to register "24" as a trademark, while intimidating small businesses to either abondon domains ending in 24.com or 24.co.za or transfer ownership of those domains to them. The result (following painful legal fees) then was a victory for the small guy, and Naspers withdrew their trademark registration application. Read more about that incident here: Website firm accuses Naspers of hijacking domain names, and M-Web in 24.com domain tug of war.
Unfortunately, Johan's nobodyowns24.com site is down, but you can view it thanks to archive.org here. nobodyowns24.com
If you search my site for 'Naspers' you'll see I've never had anything positive to say about them. That trend continues; code of ethics my ass.
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4 Comments
Agree with you on the Naspers-front. They’re the Fox of Africa (and increasingly South East Asia too, apparently?) – oh, and their news is generally superficial and totally ‘lowest common denominator” – what really sucks tho’ is how hard it is NOT to end up working for them, in one way or another, as someone ’starting off in media’. Beggars can’t be choosers and I know a bunch of young journo-types who’ve spent their varsity careers slating the organisation/corporation/whatever, but then, oops, they offer medical aid benefits, wadda-wadda-wadda…
Same type of corporate bullying as Hellcom and the juice factory Escom… must have learned from Sir Bill? :-)
Damien, try the Wayback Machine – it’s all there …
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02 February 2006
Jacques Marneweck06:58 pm
Hi Damien,
http://www.nobodyowns24.com is working btw.