A small US technology firm is suing Microsoft saying that it has prior claim to the name "Bing."

Bing! Information Design (BID) filed suit in a circuit court in the state of Missouri accusing Microsoft of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and "tortious interference with business expectancy."

Lawyers for the outfit said that for nearly ten years my client has been using the Bing! Mark and Microsoft use of the identical mark and its aggressive advertising have gutted all of my client's efforts to distinguish its business and created confusion.

Redmond said that it had not seen a copy of the lawsuit, but said the argument is specious. Microsoft does not believe there is any confusion in the marketplace with regard to the complainant's offerings and Microsoft's Bing.

BID creates interactive illustrations, designs, graphics, animations, and technical diagrams. BID featured sports stories and quizzes localized for St. Louis, the city where the company is based.