The MPAA is hunting domain names

The MPAA is sending rather aggressive emails in order to capture domain names that have a trademark on. The owner of ratednc-17.com received some heavy text from the MPAA.

"If you have registered the domain name in bad faith, your actions may subject you to the loss of your domain name as well as to civil penalties of up to $100,000 under the recently adopted Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act of 1999. If you actually operate a website which offers any goods, services, or information, your actions will constitute trademark infringement and/or dilution under the Trademark Act of 1946."

The funny thing here is that the owner of the domain is not using it for business. He registered the domain as it is his Quake alias and he wanted to dedicate a domain to.

In legal terms the MPAA does have a case here. They do have a trademark "NC-17" registered in 1999. On the other hand, this really makes one wonder the business ethics and morale of the organization.

TheRegister

Written by: Lasse Penttinen @ 10 Jun 2003 12:47

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4 comments

J.Price

hey we all know they are a bunch of money grubbin slimy slugs. hope they get their chops busted!

11.6.2003 12:36 #1

seanbyrne

I didn't think it was illegal to buy a domainname that matches or is part of a registered trade mark. Many people use to (and still do) purchase domain names that matches a company name in order to try to sell it to the matching company and make a profit.

What the MPAA is doing here is just using another technique to 'legally rob' people.

12.6.2003 11:10 #2

J.Price

it seems to me that the US Congress signed a law that was against squatters hoping to turn a profit in selling a name- which is not what this guy is doing. They have no shame nor scruples.

12.6.2003 12:47 #3

Actuator

these people could find better use with there time, like trying to stop slavery in brazil - where they force guys to make coal deep in the jungle by making them cut down trees and then burn them in ovens

there is a lot of sex slavery in the oriental lands too - cant you orientals do something about this for christ sakes, stop letting parents sell their kids into debt bondage. The girl just ends up with AIDS and STD's and never leaves the brothels. Make some laws in Thailand to stop this shit!

The MPAA and other people just need to wake up, who gives a dam about some stupid domain name - there are much more important problems.

15.6.2003 22:58 #4

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