by Traverse Legal, reviewed by Enrico Schaefer - March 31, 2008 - b. Someone is Cybersquatting My Trademark!
Our lawyers are always amazed by articles such as the one in the Dallas Morning News, which highlights all of the people who have registered variations of George Bush's name, and the name of his library. There has been a lot of commentary recently about cybersquatting on politician names. Many of the uses noted below arguably meet the definition of unlawful cybersquatting under both the UDRP and ACPA. But no one quoted in the article seems to be aware that the registration of domains incorporating famous names such as George Bush is unlawful, subjecting them to damages in excess of $100,000.00
What’s in a name? Plenty when Web users are looking for a recognizable brand. Here are some sites registered by owners other than the Bush Library Foundation:
GeorgeWBushLibrary.net — web company Illuminati Karate, Raleigh, N.C. (adlink site and a clear violation of cybersquatting laws).
GeorgeWBushLibrary.org — Chickenhead Productions, an anti-Bush Web site
(Does not appear to meet the gripe site test, and thus first amendment protection).
TheGeorgeWBushLibrary.com — Domains By Proxy (Does not appear to meet the gripe site test, and thus first amendment protection).
Technorati Tags: george bush, george w bush, bush library, cybersquatting
As a founding partner of Traverse Legal, PLC, he has more than thirty years of experience as an attorney for both established companies and emerging start-ups. His extensive experience includes navigating technology law matters and complex litigation throughout the United States.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Enrico Schaefer, who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing Business, IP, and Technology Law litigation attorney.
