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Ahh right, I misread my notes from an IP seminar. MS has registered, but the mark is (or was, at the time of the seminar) on the supplemental register rather than the principle one due to the fact that Windows is classified as a descriptive mark (the least legally defensible classification). What this does is simply allow them to sue in federal court, and have minor benefits if attempting to register the mark overseas. It does not provide the other benefits of a mark on the principle register--most importantly it does not serve as prima facie evidence of the validity of the mark. In fact, the fact that the mark is on the supplemental register is, in and of itself, a strong indication that the USPTO doubts the validity of the mark.
*edit*
Btw, Alastair, I seem to remember the members of the DIKU team releasing some very strong public statements re: Vryce/Medivia, up to and including something along the lines of "I left the MUD community because of him".
The reason you don't see any more of those is probably because it all happened what.. the better part of a decade ago?
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