Faux PoliBlog Report, II

Upon further reflection, like many of you I find the assurances of the Seattle Times to be insufficient. I have written the managing editor for more specifc, written asurances that they will, indeed, shut down in November and that they have no larger plans for their "blog."

I am especially uncomfortable with their continued references to geography (as if they are "only" in Seattle and I am "only" in Alabama). There seems to be a profound misunderstanding about the nature of the internet, and of blogging in specific on their part.

I also have a legal question for the lawyers in the audience: if I decided to register the mark "PoliBlog" would it be more accurate to classify it as a trademark or a servicemark? Having worked for patent and trademark attorneys in the past, and having done some work with trademarks and copyrights, I am well familiar with the basics. However, a trademark is for a product, and a servicemark is for a service. Now, in the production of political analysis a "product" or a "service"? I lean toward it being a product, but I was curious as to anyone's informed opinion.

I do know that despite the lack of registration, I can claim the mark legally without registering--and I will shortly place legal notifcations on the site.

Update: I have parked this post in Friday's Beltway Traffic Jam.