By Karen
Kaplan
The Los Angeles Times
Nov. 29 - If Web surfers routinely bid for Beanie Babies, Tiffany lamps and antique coins on the Web, why not auction off nose jobs and tummy tucks?
Beginning Feb. 1, prospective patients will be able to go to Medicine Online's site (http://www.medicineonline.com/) and post requests for elective, nonemergency surgical procedures. Physicians will have three days to respond by posting their credentials and fees. After bidding closes, patients can make their selections and schedule a face-to-face consultation at no cost.
``Bid-for-Surgery will be similar to a medical EBay,'' said Kevin Moshayedi, chief executive of Medicine Online in Huntington Beach, Calif.
At least one Southern California physician is looking forward to the chance to connect with patients online.
``This is the most innovative online marketing concept available to the health-care professional today,'' said Richard Van Meter, an internist and pulmonary specialist in Huntington Beach, Calif. -- KAREN KAPLAN
ECompanies Taps Another Mattel Exec for Start-Up
Toy giant Mattel is emerging as a top producer of chief executives for Internet start-ups.
For the second time, Internet business incubator ECompanies tapped a high-ranking Mattel executive to lead one of its businesses. Tim Kilpin, formerly general manager for character brands at Mattel, will be CEO of EMemories.com in Santa Monica, Calif. His appointment the other day comes less than two months after David Haddad, former president of Mattel's software division, became chief executive of EParties, also based in Santa Monica.
EMemories plans to develop film and post it on the Web for customers free of charge. Customers will then be able to view their pictures before ordering prints, for which the company will charge them. The service will be available in the first quarter of 2000. Mattel Senior Vice President Glenn Bozarth said the company was flattered by the attention it was getting from ECompanies. ``I'm not an expert in what Internet companies are looking for, but ... we're a company known for its marketing and brand-building experience, and we're proud to have that reputation,'' he said.
That's exactly what made Haddad and Kilpin attractive candidates for leading EParties and EMemories.com, said ECompanies co-founder Sky Dayton. ``Both David and Tim are very experienced brand builders, and that's what we do at ECompanies,'' he said. -- KAREN KAPLAN
20th Century Fox Slays `Buffy' Online `Fan Sites'
In the latest scrape between a Hollywood studio and online fans, 20th Century Fox attorneys have recently been slaying Web sites that pay homage to the studio's hit show, ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer.''
A handful of Buffy ``fan sites'' have either shut down or removed some of their content, after being threatened with copyright infringement suits by Fox attorneys.
``I complied in fear of any legal repercussions,'' said the operator of one site, who declined to disclose his name. ``After all, I am a struggling college student and do not have the time, money or inclination to face Fox in a legal battle.''
Buffy fans have created a Web site, http://buffy.acmecity.com/undead/214, to protest the crackdown. The site's stated goal is ``to bring enlightenment to those in need (Fox).''
The squabble reflects tension that has cropped up between studios and fans since the Internet emerged as a mainstream medium five years ago. Studios fret that the Net is undermining their ability to protect their copyrighted works. Fans argue that their sites don't make any money, and often contribute to the shows' popularity.
Dozens of ``Buffy'' fan sites still exist. But the sites targeted in the latest round of legal missives appear to have been singled out because they went beyond posting images from the show.
Several had posted video or audio clips, and one was building a library of transcripts typed by fans while they watched Buffy episodes.
Fox officials declined to comment. -- GREG MILLER
HealthNet Trying to Shut Sites With `Healthnet' Name
Is the World Wide Web big enough for more than one ``healthnet'' site?
No, according to Foundation Health Systems, the Woodland Hills-based parent company of California HMO HealthNet. The company is trying to shut down several Web sites operated by a nonprofit public health organization because its Internet addresses contain the word ``healthnet.''
HealthNet attorneys sent a letter to Watertown, Mass.-based SatelLife demanding that the group stop using the healthnet.org domain name because customers might confuse the SatelLife Web site with the HMO's Web site at http://www.healthnet.com/.
The nonprofit group offered to say on its site that it was not affiliated with the HMO, but lawyers for HealthNet -- which has trademarked the name -- asked domain name registrar Network Solutions to take healthnet.org away from SatelLife.
Bernard Lown, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning physician who founded SatelLife 10 years ago, said that with 10 staff members and an annual budget of $800,000, the group doesn't have the financial or logistical resources to change its domain name. Besides, he said, the risk of confusion is small because SatelLife serves people who are mostly in countries in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.
A HealthNet spokesman said the company is trying to enforce its trademark and protect its intellectual property.
SatelLife filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts last week asking the court to rule that it can continue using healthnet.org to handle 38,000 pieces of e-mail each day.
Cyberlaw experts said the case could go either way. -- KAREN KAPLAN
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