Posted on 07/25/2007 8:30:15 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
Woo-hoo! "The Simpsons Movie" has won its name back on the Internet.
A UN agency has ruled that ownership of the domain name thesimpsonsmovie.com must be handed to News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, which owns the rights to the film and the popular TV series.
Twentieth Century Fox complained to the World Intellectual Property Organization over the use of the film's name in the Internet address of a site registered by Keith Malley of New York.
Fox lawyers claimed Malley was using the address to divert Internet users to a website that included sexually explicit depictions of several characters from "The Simpsons" and, later, to his "Keith and the Girl" website. He was demanding a $50,000 fee from Twentieth Century Fox for the domain name, according to the July 22 ruling of the WIPO arbitration panel.
It found that Malley "has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name" and ordered its immediate return.
In an interview, Malley said that Fox lawyers never contacted him and that he learned about the case after the deadline had passed. He said his contact information was available on his website and through his lawyer, although he hadn't updated the official registration records for the domain name, which he bought in 1999.
"I found it bullying," Malley said, adding that he would speak with his lawyer about challenging the decision. Malley could appeal by filing a lawsuit in a court.
The arbitration system, which was set up in 1999, allows those who think they have the right to a domain to gain control of it without having to fight a costly legal battle or pay large sums of money. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Madonna are among the Hollywood stars who have previously won rulings against so-called "cybersquatters."
"The animated television series 'The Simpsons' debuted in 1989, and has become one of the longest-running network series in television history," the ruling said, noting that Friday's release of the film has generated huge public interest on the Internet.
WIPO said Malley's "aim in registering the disputed domain name was to profit from and exploit" Twentieth Century Fox's trademark to promote and sell his own products and merchandise.
Malley, 33, who produces an Internet radio show, said he obtained the domain name with intentions of creating a parody of "The Simpsons." He said the amount Fox offered for the domain name, $300, wouldn't cover time spent developing ideas for the site; he would not elaborate on those ideas.
It’s the only language they use and understand.
Knock it off.
You too.
You got it. Thanks for posting this. I'm teaching information policy in the Winter and cover international domain name resolution issues. Students always think that these bodies are necessary, until you ask them which of their Constitutional rights did they give up when they chose a domain name.
Cybersquatting and holding domain names ransom is one thing; giving up your rights is another.
Me too what?
“Please enjoy our forum, but also please remember to use common courtesy when posting and refrain from posting personal attacks, profanity, vulgarity, threats, racial or religious bigotry, or any other materials offensive or otherwise inappropriate for a conservative family audience.”
I just returned from some errands and I missed the responses that are now removed. I was not here to see the “name calling.”
One of my posts was among those pulled. I admit I was out of line and I am sorry to whomever may have been offended.
Should we be able to discuss the matter civily I would still like answer to the questions I posed in #25 and in #30.
God bless,
GB
My question posted about the name calling was a mere coincidence in timing to the post removals. By the time I had posted and hit refresh, they were gone. The moderators were ahead of me on this one (lol). You ask good questions. There are some people you simply accept that they will be put on the front line of long battle sooner or later. There...they can show their bravery. Allow them to walk 5 ft ahead while hunting, and tell them how great of a leader they are and you’re glad to be following. It’s always good to keep their influence on others to a minimum. Point others to them as examples of the wrong direction.
That is unless you control the mute button (lol) :)
I left shortly after my post (the one that was pulled). As I said I was a little out of line. It was a case of overreaction (on my part) to someone on FR being in love with the UN. Truth is I found it shocking!
There’s a quote that goes something like -
“Leave from this place. May your chains rest lightly upon your shoulders and may we forget we ever knew you...”
I wish I could remember exactly how it goes.
“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.” Samuel Adams, (1722-1803)
Many, MANY people do not understand the UN. Those are the impressionable ones. The UN lovers will not reverse course. It stands as the crux of many of their arguments with other issues (trade, etc.)...so they are forced to stay mentally loyal to them. I try to ignore them and just keep them from screwing others’ threads up.
Wise policy!
United Nations Group Issues Report on Internet Addresses
By JERI CLAUSING Published: May 3, 1999
Speculating in the registration and resale of potentially valuable Internet addresses would effectively be outlawed under new rules proposed by the intellectual property body of the United Nations. The proposal would also give companies and people with claims to famous words or trademarks first claim to certain Internet addresses.
The recommendations, issued Friday evening to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, are the first attempt by any official body to draft an international set of rules to combat the much-maligned practice commonly referred to as cybersquatting. The report was requested by the Clinton Administration last year when it handed oversight of the Internet's addressing system to the corporation, an international nonprofit organization known as Icann.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E7DF173CF930A35756C0A96F958260
ah...just saw you posted that...well, a double dose, then. : )
ah...just saw you posted that...well, a double dose, then. : )
Thank you Both! It can’t be repeated enough!
Worthy of a double shot on that :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.