Robbie Williams wins Web case

Williams complained the Web site was being used in bad faith

LONDON, England -- British pop idol Robbie Williams has won a legal battle to close down a hoax Web site which directs users to that of his rivals Oasis.

Williams, who is one of Britain's top-selling artists with worldwide album sales of more than 19 million, went to the United Nations copyright agency complaining the 'cybersquatting' site was being used in bad faith.

Howard Taylor of Southampton, on the south coast of England, used the site www.robbiewilliams.info to divert users to a site which promotes the British rock band Oasis.

Williams and Liam Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis, have had a long-running public rift.

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Taylor, who said his intention was to run an unofficial Robbie Williams fan club from the site, said he thought the bad blood between the two stars was a public relations exercise and that "anyone who knows about it would see the humour."

However the U.N. World Intellectual Property Organisation, which protects trademarks and patents, ruled that the domain name was virtually identical to other Robbie Williams sites and that Taylor had not demonstrated any rights or legitimate interest in the site.

The body said it was registered in bad faith. The ruling requires Taylor to transfer the site back to Williams.