Domain Games: Penguins & ESPN Battle For The Return Of URLs

The Penguins have won ownership over the "disputed Internet domain" www.NHLPenguins.com, according to Michael Bartlett of NEWSBYTES.com, who noted the name was registered without the team's permission by a Russian company — Domain For Sale — that linked the Web address to pornographic sites. The company "asked for a minimum of $550 to purchase the URL." The World Intellectual Property Organization ruled that the company was "using the name in bad faith" and ordered the name transferred to the team (NEWSBYTES.com, 12/7). Meanwhile, ESPN was also able to get the rights to www.GreatOutdoorGames.com from Domain For Sale. Since September 18, Domain For Sale had been "offering porn links at the address at the same time it has published a notice" that the name was for sale. ESPN argued to the MM-based National Arbitration Forum (NAF), which is "authorized to referee" domain name disputes, that it should get the domain back "because it had trademark rights in the phrase `Great Outdoor Games.'" NAF arbitrator Harold Kalina ruled ordered that the domain name be returned (NEWSBYTES.com, 12/7).

WHAT HAPPENED? The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Noah Liberman reports that NBC Sports and Comdisco's plans to relaunch golf.com to enhance the networks golf coverage "have been thrown into limbo by the mysterious transfer of control of the URL to" Michael Newton of Grovetown, GA, "without the knowledge" of either NBC or Comdisco. NBC Sports VP/Business Development Kevin Monaghan: "We've been told (by Network Solutions) that the URL registration period didn't lapse, that it was simply transferred to this new group, which is puzzling to us because no one at either NBC or Comdisco or the bankruptcy (officers for former owner Quokka Sports) authorized this" (SBJ, 12/10 issue).