@Dal: Ok, indeed, SLexchange and SLboutique could do this too, but I figured as it was ‘their’ world after all and it concerns all the residents LL might as well do this, as they would benefit from this too. Also - for me - ‘credentials’ would be more high when such list is published by Linden Labs then that it’s published by a third party. (Regardless if they work together with LL or not.)

@Csven: I only have my email conversation with Mr. Chapman. I suggest you ask either him or the people at SLexchange. Although Tigress Stormwind did tell Adam Reuters something else then what she put in the mail I received: “We contacted Coca-Cola to inquire and were told that they are allowing products with their trademark in SL, under certain conditions,” she said in a Second Life interview with Reuters. “They pointed out that they did not want anything overtly sexual or violent in content … Technically they haven’t ‘released’ their trademark, but they have given SL residents permission to use it.”

And at first I actually had something like that in mind for the outfit. But then realised they might not be to blame for not being able to predict WWII in 1925. And that I’d probably be thrown out of the party. *grins*

a) a 3rd party or parties can maintain a list of released trademarks. Seems like cooperation among the various vendor sites would benefit them all.

b) users who abuse a trademark are going to do so regardless of permission. I think the bigger question is: what *specifically* have they communicated. I would venture that Coca-Cola still reserves the right to enforce their trademark when they deem necessary. In other words, people who use the brand in non-hostile fashion can do so, while those who associate the brand with certain behaviors could be sent a C&D (e.g. a virtual play glorifying the Nazi’s… with Coca-Cola plastered on the stage curtain suggesting sponsorship).

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Has anyone read the actual communication from Coca-Cola? Would like to see that.

@Vint: why would we wait for LLs to create such a page ? Maybe the folks like electricsheep+slexchange could cooperate and make a resource like this ? (also would encourage other brands to think out of the box ?

(Jade, what do you think? :)

@Seraphine: I think either that or just fear of “doing something wrong”.
However, to stimulate the thinking, I’d put a question differently:
1) there are tons of hazards just when we walk out on the street - many people were killed there. Yet, we go out and walk. :-)
2) if the thinking is that “the trademark is going to be abused”, this assumes the reasonably high percentage of the evildoers in the target audience, so if one would assume the target crowd to be so evil - why bother doing any marketing at all…

We never received any DMCA complaint from Coca-Cola. :) Interesting news about the trademark release! I’m glad everything worked out.

As for getting LL to keep a list, I once asked them to do something similar: keep a list of trademarks that were being officially sanctioned for resident use by the trademark holders. They declined. However, maybe the topic could be raised in this different context.

Take for instance the ‘absolut’ contests at W1k. Does this harm the Absolut brand? The opposite even, I think.