Failed to prove his name was a trademark

Published: 30 July 2000 y., Sunday
The website owner, who says he has used the address for eight years, was accused of cybersquatting - registering the name in the hope of making a fortune from selling the name to the singer. Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, took the case to the international domain name arbitration service of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. The UN-run agency says celebrities have common law trademark rights to their names, but Sting failed to prove the name had been registered in bad faith and also that his name was a trademark. He is the first celebrity to suffer such a defeat. Sting claimed the American holder of the site, Michael Urvan, had offered to sell it back for $25,000 (Ј16,500). But Mr Urvan, from Georgia, denied the claim and Sting's lawyers offered no proof to support it. The WIPO panel acknowledged that Sting is a "world famous entertainer" known by that name but also ruled it was also a common English word, listing its multiple meanings in a dictionary.
Šaltinis: BBC News
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

Apple Starts Selling Unlocked iPhone 4 in the U.S

Confirming rumors that surfaced over the weekend, Apple has started selling the unlocked version of the iPhone 4 in Apple Retail stores. more »

Anonymous Begins Attacks on Spanish Police Websites

You didn’t expect Anonymous to take the recent Spanish police action against them lying down, did you? more »

Taiwan brings foldable touch-screens closer to reality

The era of foldable touch screens is rapidly approaching, with scientists in Taiwan leading the charge to develop computer and cell phone screens that can folded away or rolled up for storage. more »

The virtual finger language was created in Japan

During the exibition „Technology Open House 2011“ japanese creators of technologies presented the automatic system, which can translate words into the finger language. more »

China threatens Google over hacking claims

China has warned Google that its business could suffer if it continues to suggest that Chinese spies have been targeting the emails of United States' officials. more »

Zero carbon office-building a sign of things to come

South Korea is showing off what it says is the world's first totally eco-friendly business building, a structure that emits zero carbon and uses only renewable energy. more »

Facebook rejects NY man's claim of half-ownership

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said that an alleged contract and e-mails that a New York man claims entitle him to a 50% stake in the social networking site are "forgeries". more »

Toshiba prices its new tablet to undercut Apple's iPad2

The growing popularity of tablets has seen many new players enter the market. more »

Top 5 social networking hacks

Anthony Weiner, a Democratic congressman, has claimed his Twitter account was hacked after a photograph of a bulging pair of underpants was sent to a follower. Here are some of the most memorable social networking 'hacks'... more »

Google e-mail accounts attacked by Chinese hackers

Hace China have compromised personal e-mail accounts of hundreds of top US officials, military personnel and journalists, Google has said. more »