Of all of the Dell computers I unfortunately got to use, not one worked right. I find it funny that they said this”

A Dell spokeswoman told The Register that it hopes the lawsuit would send a clear signal about the lengths it's prepared to go to protect its brand.”

If that were truly the case, then they better start manufacturing computers that work properly.

Without getting into the debate over whether Dell's computers are worthwhile, it's rather clear that the domains listed as being camped are directly aimed at Dell.

It gets a little more gray when it comes to domains like http://www.shelltrading.com/, where it started off as a somewhat legitimate ownership by a woman who traded shells, but now is being camped - possibly in an attempt to get the trading branch of Royal Dutch Shell to (pun intended) shell out some mad cash.

I'll be happy to see a little more sanity come back to domain registration.

While I can understand Dell's reaction I am not sure that it makes good precedent. It makes me uneasy that we seem to be handing ownership of the word "Dell" to a corporation and even more when the situation includes an oft used English word like "shell". A little research suggest that Shell has registered hundreds, if not thousands of words containing Shell in them - and is effectively camping on them since 99% are not utilised. If they have overlooked trademarking the words shelltrading, or it has not been in common use, and I guess that must be the case, then they should not have an inalienable right to the use of those words.

This very much depends on your perspective, but trying to control domain usage, particularly in the blurry areas mentioned is just too complicated - sometimes you have to rely on the consumer having some brains. The alternative is corporatising large slabs of our language.

Finally, I think "sanity" and "domain registration" are mutually exclusive :)