Email Marketing Firm Emma Sues Microstrategy, Owner of Emma.com

Emma, Inc. pays for not owning Emma.com.

A heavyweight battle is regarding to ensue over the name “Emma”.

Email marketing firm Emma, Inc., which operates its main web site at MyEmma.com, has sued publicly traded MicroStrategy for trademark infringement (pdf).

MicroStrategy has owned the domain name Emma.com since the 1990s but didn’t use it until recently. The firm is no modest fish; it has a market cap of $1.22 billion.

At issue is MicroStrategy’s recent launch of an app called “Emma” and Emma.com. Emma, Inc. claims that MicroStrategy is infringing its trademark and that its logos look similar.

As I wrote regarding a number of years ago, Emma, Inc. has an identity crises. It decided to brand itself as “Emma” instead of “MyEmma” despite operating at MyEmma.com.

Emma, Inc has approached MicroStrategy regarding buying the domain name “on multiple occasions”. An exhibit to the lawsuit shows that MicroStrategy offered to sell the domain name for $3 million or lease it for $10,000 a month.

I agree with Emma, Inc. that the logo on Emma.com is somewhat similar. But I find it hard to believe that a billion dollar business intelligence firm is purposely trying to tread on Emma, Inc.

Emma, Inc. is not asking for the domain name to be transferred.