Generally when I talk about intellectual property here, I discuss its abuses, but the ability to exert rights over the things you create is a cornerstone of our economy and society. I think it’s stupid for BMW to tell Web sites not to use any variation of “Mini Cooper” in their name. They may be legally entitled to do so, but they’re biting the hand that feeds them. On the other hand, I think that Amazon.com’s suing spammers who fraudulently claim an affiliation with their company is perfectly reasonable.