>BTW, would that also apply to US Govt type of names such as >DepartmentOfAgriculture.com SocialSecurityAdministration.com >FederalHousingAdmin.us, etc??
I need to take a closer look at the above issue before providing a comprehensive opinion. However, at first glance, I believe those marks are different from the case of geographic names. Unlike a geographic name that can be used by anyone in a non-confusing manner for many purposes, a name like socialsecurityadministration.com refers to a specific government body. I think it's more difficult to make the case of bona fide non-confusing use. Also, there are U.S. laws specifically applicable to the use of government names. I'm heading out at the moment so will give a more comprehensive answer later, but I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.
Also, thanks for the nice words from all. Of course, any of the good lawyers on this Board would have likely achieved the same results. I had good facts on my side, and made sure I had a 3-member panel, which was not the case in Barcelona.com.