The IOC, USOC and SLOC filed a joint lawsuit in U.S.
Federal Court against more than 1,800 registered Internet
domain names using the words "Olympic" or "Olympiad" in
their domain names. The group contend that of teh more than
1,800 unauthorized domains named in the suit, 168 sites
falsely represent an association with the 2000, 2002, 2004
or 2006 Olympic Games, 69 claim to sell tickets or other
Games-related services for profit, 43 relate to gambling and
15 are associated with pornographic material or services
(USOC). The INDUSTRY STANDARD's Bernhard Warner notes the
suit was filed June 20 and seeks the shut down of sites
which contain the trademark names "Olympic," "Olympics,"
"Olympiad," or "their derivation in French or Spanish. Even
misspelled names such as 2004Olimpics.com are cited in the
complaint." Warner wrote that the official Olympic Web
sites "have generated anemic traffic, particularly when
compared with major sports sites such as ESPN.com. If the
Net is to become a viable source of Olympic revenue, the
organization committees argue, the organizations need to
boost traffic and hence crack down on cybersquatters that
might confuse would-be customers." Since filing the suit,
the groups' attorney Jim Bikoff said "several hundred" of
the Web sites have contacted his law firm to hand over the
domain names (INDUSTRY STANDARD, 7/13). In DC, James
Grimaldi notes the "provision of the law used in the suit
does not seek damages; instead, the committees ask that the
names be deleted from the database of Internet addresses or
turned over to the Olympic committees." The committees
"argue that the Web sites could encroach on the Olympic
Games' major sources of revenue." The case "calls into
question more addresses than any previous single lawsuit."
A previous case involved 260 Web addresses using the word
"Porsche." Grimaldi notes news of the case comes "just 63
days before" the 2000 Games, and "given the number of domain
names and owners involved," it is "likely to take longer to
conclude than the Olympic competition" (WASH. POST, 7/14).
