Madonna wins cybersquatter suit

Madonna prevailed over a cybersquatter who had claimed the web site name madonna.com

October 16, 2000
Web posted at: 3:58 PM EDT (1958 GMT)

GENEVA, Switzerland -- Madonna has successfully evicted a cybersquatter from the Internet address madonna.com, which was initially a porn site, U.N. arbitrators said Monday.

The pop singer filed the complaint in July at the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) against New York Web developer Dan Parisi, who was first to register the Internet address. WIPO is the United Nations' copyright intellectual property agency.

Madonna argued that the site, which initially posted pornography that was later removed, damaged her name. WIPO noted that the singer, whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone, had used the Madonna name and trademark professionally since 1979.

The WIPO's three-member panel declared Parisi had no trademark right to the name and failed to prove legitimate interest in the online domain name. It ordered Parisi to transfer the site to Madonna.

Cybersquatters are people who register famous names as domains in the hope of making a quick profit.

Madonna bids to win domain name game
September 13, 2000

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