Who is the real Verse of the Day (VOTD)?
It was brought to my attention that yet another VOTD service has popped up recently. This one is quite good in my opinion - it uses flash’s ability to deliver dynamic content to other web sites. This is something I’ve considered for a long time but never had time to implement.
The person that brought it to my attention asked if we were trademarked or copyrighted. The answer is no. Honestly I never asked Dave Perkins if we were the first to use the name, because it never seemed to matter. I do keep tabs however, on the various other VOTD web sites and services - I’m even aware of a local New York radio station that uses VOTD for a short segment in which they read a verse (and I used to know the people at the station - it is probable that they did “lift” the name from our VOTD), thinking back it is quite possible that we were first, but I can’t really say. Seeing VOTD’s come and go over the years I can say with certainty that we are the longest running - and we still are the only one that’s hand picked daily (as opposed to a database full of verses that show randomly via a script). We are not so much a service as a family! It always was like that, and always will be!
Now can we/should we step up, legally get control of the name and issue cease and desist letters to everyone else, including the local radio station? Maybe if Dave or I thought differently at the beginning we could have made a career out of VOTD. Maybe we could have sold it to Google by now 
but this is one case in life where imitation and competition is part of the objective - which is to get God’s Word out. I welcome it! I’m thrilled to see others take it farther than we can and to different places on the ‘net we can’t reach. Our VOTD isnt a means to being a celebrity or to bring wealth - or more specifically a way to gain web site hits and search engine ranking. For Dave it was his ministry at the time, for me I call it my “other church” because of all the “pastoring via email” I do for list members.
Am I crazy for not being interested in controlling the name? Maybe. I just feel that this is the Lord’s will for our VOTD. Only He can change my mind.
Maybe Google could sway me with the right offer (perhaps in the neighborhood of what the YouTube folks got recently - yeah baby!) But the stipulation would be that VOTD remains free of charge and wholly committed to the propagation of God’s Word on the ‘net. Dave, I’ll cut you in if they respond 
I pray that our Lord blesses and prospers all the VOTD’s and other means by which the ‘net is flooded daily with His Words!
Pastor George