There can be only one "ulu!" We gave the brain trust at NBC and NewsCorp some well-deserved flack over the decision to name their $1 billion video content portal "Hulu" after an inexplicable multi-month nomenclatural funk and near-extinction of Fantasia (or Fantastica) from the all-consuming Nothing. It seems Lulu is equally perplexed by the decision, and the one letter difference between the new name and its own. Lulu is suing Hulu (if litigatory karma exists, NBC and NewsCorp are right under Viacom in the pecking order of companies that need to be sued). Here's more, from the Post:
Hulu.com, NBC Universal and News Corp.'s soon-to-launch video Web site, has been slapped with a trademark infringement lawsuit by Lulu Enterprises for picking a name too similar to its own. Lulu, which controls the Web sites lulu.com and lulu.tv and specializes in digital self-publishing services for budding filmmakers, musicians and authors, claims in a suit filed in federal court in Raleigh, N.C., that NBC and News Corp.'s decision to name their service Hulu represents an intentional attempt to create confusion in the marketplace and an encroachment on its business.
Do the Zulus have enough lawyers on hand to enter the fray? We hear creator god Nkulunkulu is especially pissed, but is not really an interventionist when it comes to human affairs.
HULLABALOO OVER HULU [New York Post]
Posted by Random Banker , Sep 07, 2007 12:37PM
I've got a great idea. How about NBC and NewsCorp rename their site PooPoo given that eh, i dunno its gonna be shitty like every other corporate site contrived to compete with an organically arising site.
You know for corporations called "Networks" you'd think they'd understand the network effect.
Posted by Wimaway , Sep 07, 2007 12:49PM
I have witnessed posts by Random Banker before and I'd like to ask......do you know what the hell you're stumbling through???
Posted by Random Banker , Sep 07, 2007 1:12PM
What I'm stumbling trough? I guess not. (except boredom) What am I stumbling through? This is the Craigslist missed connections page right?
Posted by JT , Sep 07, 2007 1:29PM
I'd have to agree with RB here buddy. Chances are high (~99.5% according to my proprietary model) that Hulu or whatever the f@ck they end up calling it will suck like a dyson. On top of that they'll likely drop a cool hundred or two mil on advertising and promotions (which themselves will also likely suck)
As I've said before (and curiously been chastised for) 'old media' and content creators/owners need to embrace the way technology is changing viewing habits, distribution and content delivery. Hell, if the record companies, for instance, had been in the loop they could have set up electronic music download service like a decade ago and at least partially preempted illegal (yet very useful) filesharing such as (when i say that phrase I think of miss teeen SC, but I digress...) napster, etc.
This Hulahoop or whtaever thing is a start, but in all likelihood it won't be a particularly good one.
Posted by anonymous , Sep 07, 2007 4:38PM
what about Cthulu?
Posted by , Sep 07, 2007 5:52PM
wasn't that a metallica song call of ktulu or something