Cybersquatter Makes Good [1]
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 [2])
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 [3]. Alternatively, they could have filed a claim under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d [4]) 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.
Jurisdiction:
- Texas [5]
- North Carolina [6]
Subject Area:
- Trademark [7]