Ticketmaster Takes Sidewalk Into Court

In a move that could affect all companies doing business on the Internet, Ticketmaster filed suit against Microsoft Corp. Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accusing Microsoft’s Sidewalk Web site of unauthorized use of the Ticketmaster name and logo.

Sidewalk is Microsoft’s entry into the burgeoning category of “city sites,” which provide information on local shopping, entertainment and restaurants, and sell advertising to local and national businesses.

Los Angeles-based Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketing agent, seeks unspecified damages from Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft, the world’s largest software firm. Ticketmaster wants all links to its Web site removed from the Sidewalk site, a move that, if affirmed by the court, could establish rules for a commonly used tool that connects one Web site to another.

Ticketmaster President and Chief Executive Fred Rosen contends that Sidewalk has made an unauthorized link to Ticketmaster and thus is enriching Microsoft at Ticketmaster’s expense.

“This is not about the culture of the Net; this is about the greed of Microsoft,” Rosen said. “From a consumer point of view, we’re not there to change anything or restrict access.”

The dispute arose after Ticketmaster and Microsoft failed to reach an agreement on an alliance several months ago. Rosen said Sidewalk refused to offer a quid pro quo for linking to Ticketmaster’s site, which recently began offering online ticketing. Ticketmaster has since linked with Pasadena-based CitySearch, a rival city site, and is seeking similar partnerships with other sites.

Sidewalk General Manager Frank Schott called the suit “an attack on what the Web is all about.”

“I’d be really surprised if we had to start getting permission to start putting up links,” he said.

Sidewalk’s only current site is for Seattle; New York, Boston and Minneapolis sites are due by summer.