Copyright Law

Cybersquatter Makes Good

By Marc Randazza

The Bush library team seems as incompetent as . . . well, as incompetent as you would imagine anyone involved with such a project would be. They procured the domain name www.GeorgeWBushLibrary.com, then they forgot to renew the registration. It got picked up by a cybersquatter, Illuminati Karate.

"It worked out very well," said George Huger, lead Web developer for Illuminati Karate in Raleigh, N.C. (source)

It worked out well indeed. The Bush team could have picked the domain up for a $1,500 filing fee with WIPO. Even though the Bush team was careless, that doesn't mean that Illuminati Karate had a superior claim to the domain. See ???Finders Keepers??? is not a legitimate defense to a cybersquatting claim. Alternatively, they could have filed a claim under 15 U.S.C. ?? 1125(d) and pounded Illuminati Karate for up to $100,000 in statutory damages and reimbursement of their attorneys fees.

My hat goes off to Illuminati Karate. While I find their actions to be, on one level, a bit repugnant. On another, I say good for them. ??Ol' Dubya scammed us for the past 8 years and Illuminati Karate scammed him back.

Full post as published by Citizen Media Law Project on December 17, 2008 (boomark / email).