[ZachPruckowski]

Generally I think it's a sort of two-step the patent/trademark trolls do. They go to USPTO and apply for IP based around a narrow reading of their application, and then they attempt to enforce based on a broad reading of their IP once they have it.

The narrow case here (that a trademark can be "pi" plus some additional character) is not super far-fetched (though maybe the period isn't enough). But then the broad case (that anything using "pi" infringes) is the excessive bit. It may have appeared totally clear to the guy granting the trademark that "pi dot" wouldn't grant any claims to "pi", but its not clear to enforcement authorities.

This is compounded by this sort of stuff almost never seeing the inside of a courtroom. Patent trolls push for settlement so they never have to litigate their broad claims on their patent, and they can move against trademarks with a cease-and-desist or DMCA claim, which basically every company folds to without reading, on the advice of their lawyers.