Re: Cybersquatting: Class War Domain Dispute? Etoy vs. Etoys

[rdom@thing.net]

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Another case_of_netart_cybersquatting:

Number 16 of the largest US online commerce corporations, etoys.com,
is suing etoy.com (without the "s"), the "digital hijack" artists from
Switzerland. Etoys (with the "s") asserts that kids could get
confused by the similar domain name and consequently exposed to those
bad guys from the Alps. Family values are at stake. But since Etoy didnīt
want to relinguish the right to their own domain to the Big Daddy Etoys Corporation
they will now have to go court. THE THING vigorously supports Etoy in this fight!
A stealth alliance of various individuals, media and art groups now plans to mount
an effective media counter offensive to discredit those suckers who think
they can just buy or destroy everything thatīs in their way!

http://www.hijack.org
http://www.etoy.com
http://www.etoys.com

"They let us bleed, till we die. But because there is no blood in etoy,
we will not bleed." --etoy


The etoys vs etoy case will now go to the United States District Court,
Central District of California on November 8, 1999.

If etoy loses its case, internic will cut off the domain www.etoy.com.
Thatīs what the online toy store etoys.com demands, after etoy rejected an offer of $100k for
the transfer of the etoy.com domain name.

etoys claims that etoy.com "disturbs and confuses their growing market."

etoys.com was rated as the 16th biggest online store in August 1999.

etoy, the art group uses the domain etoy.com since 1994.
eToys.com, the online toy reseller, started in 1997.

The case raises iffy legal questions and is likely to spawn some interesting net-activism.

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