"Actually, you are allowed to have the same or similar names, as long as you are in different businesses."

That's a sort of rule of thumb ... the issue is whether there is a likelihood of consumer confusion. For instance if I started a phone sex company and called it "Apple Computer" and mimicked Apples site design and visual style the fact that I was in a different business might not save me.

"The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has suggested that Microsoft give the kid a $10,000 college scholarship. Me, I think they should hire him...in their PR department."

Hopefully they have better ways to spend their money than rewarding some twit for a play on words... like funding my Xbox project :)