TULALIP, Wash. -- Tulalip tribal leaders are planning to meet with Microsoft soon to discuss its use of the "Tulalip" name.
The tribe recently learned that the company may be using its name without permission.
Last week, Microsoft inadvertently released a website touting a new social sharing service called Socl.com, which happened to be operating under the codename Tulalip. Microsoft quickly pulled down the site, noting that it was never meant to be published.
The name Tulalip is trademarked. It got members of the Tulalip Tribe talking, too, and some of them say the software giant “infringed” on the tribal name.
"I don't think anyone should use it without permission of the tribal council," said Jenette Fryberg, tribal member. "We just don't want anyone using it in a bad way. It's our name."
A tribal spokesman said the tribe was talking with Microsoft "to determine the facts." A Microsoft spokesperson would only say that the name was code for an internal project.
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