March 28, 2006

Will celebrity squatting expand to... non celebrities?

Wired has an interesting article, on cybersquatters' new tactics. They now register names of people they hope will become stars. Sports and reality television are the main targets.

Related: My post on how Melania Trump won a UDRP case over melaniatrump.com, registered 8 months before she became Melania Trump

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

True "squatting" is emailing others claiming that you own a domain that you really do not. (Just as in the days of the old west when saddle tramps and bank robbers would hide out in deserted homes.)

But if you have beaten some dumb celeb to the punch and registered a name first, that's his tough luck. It makes you a "settler," not a "squatter." If he wants to buy a name, he can pay you for it, like one buys any other product.

You don't see any celebrities likewise complaining about their photos and movies being sold by fans on eBay, do you? Why aren't those eBay sellers being called "squatters," too? They're also making money off a celeb's name!