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Deadly virus steals ASP trademark
Crooked Stick makes a rod for its own back with Nimda...

By Ben King

Published: Friday 21 September 2001

Crooked Stick software found itself in a tricky position this week as a virus named after one of its products threatened to cripple the internet.

Nimda is 'Admin' spelled backwards, and Canadian ASP Crooked Stick chose the name to convey the idea that its hosting product gives customers control of their services, but in an innovative way.

However, a worm that the UK Home Office has described as the fastest spreading virus ever has been given the same name - w32.nimda.a@mm, or Nimda for short.

Crooked Stick president Tim Rutledge said in a statement: "The virus was given its name by well-meaning internet security firms assigned to understand how it worked, as well as to trace it back to its source."

"Had they conducted a simple name search they would have discovered that nimda
is a registered trademark of Toronto-based ASP, Crooked Stick Enterprises."

He has contacted the anti-virus software vendors that named the worm, but was told it's too late to change it.

David Perry, Global Director of Education for Trend Micro, said: "There are a number of naming conventions for viruses, but it's a vast and Byzantine process. We try not to use trademarks, names of people, or the wishes of the virus writer, as we don't want to give them the publicity."

"However, in a fast-breaking virus situation like this one we don't always have time to do all the due diligence we would like to."

"I suppose we could change it, or put a note on our sites saying that the two aren't connected, but that would only draw more attention to it."