Yankees sue alleged 'cybersquatter'

[O.G. Mike]

From pMSNBC:

Team trying to get domain name from computer-loving fan

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK, Jan. 6 - The New York Yankees are suing a Queens man they say is
crowding their Web site.
IN A LAWSUIT filed in Brooklyn federal court, the Yankees are seeking to
wrest control of a domain name - newyorkyankees.com - from 41-year-old Brian
McKiernan. The defendant registered the name in 1997 intending to build a
fan Web site, his lawyer said Thursday.
The lawyer, John S. Selinger, accused the Yankees of being poor
sports.
McKiernan, a longtime Yankee fan who runs a pager service, "thought
it would be a neat thing for his kids," the lawyer said. "Everything he did
was lawful. They're trying to intimidate him."
The Yankees and Major League Baseball Properties Inc. claim they sued only
after McKiernan demanded $25,000 to give up rights to the name, countered
baseball lawyer. Ethan Orlinsky. The team uses yankees.com for its home
page.
The suit is the latest in a growing number of disputes over so-called
"cybersquatting" - the practice of registering Internet addresses in hopes
of reselling them for profit.
Last month, the NFL sued the owners of Web sites it claims infringe on its
trademarks. It is one of several suits fueled by a new federal law allowing
trademark holders to seek up to $100,000 in damages from squatters.
Selinger denied that McKiernan ever asked for $25,000. The lawyers
says said Yankees made an unsuccessful bid to buy the site for $450 and two
tickets - then went to court.
McKiernan, his lawyer insisted, "doesn't want money. ... He just
wants to keep the Web site."

© 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Vinnie S.]

e him."
>The Yankees and Major League Baseball Properties Inc. claim they sued only
>after McKiernan demanded $25,000 to give up rights to the name, countered
>baseball lawyer. Ethan Orlinsky.

This says it all. This was the sole intention of this guy. I don't want to here
about what great a fan he is.

Vinnie S.

http://www.monmouth.com/~enzo

[Fred H. Miller]

I would have asked for more than $25,000. He has had it (and paid for it)
since 97. Are the Yankees claiming we was calling them since June 97? How
about the guy in Wisconsin that has newyorkyankees.net?

Fred

Vinnie S. <en...@monmouth.com.nospam> wrote in message
news:38756908...@news.monmouth.com...

[O.G. Mike]

And there is nothing wrong with it either. Capitalism at its best. After all
the money the Yankees wasted all these years on scrubs, they can give this
guy his 25K.

[TRLaz...@yahoo.com]

The BIG problem I have with this,
is that the new law regarding squatting / speculating
is RETRO., and they are going after people that
always had domain names legally registered at the time.
If they want to say., okay, from now on. but thats not what they did.
Thats the bullsht part about it.

[Vinnie S.]

"O.G. Mike" <ogm...@NOSPAMmailcity.com> wrote:

>And there is nothing wrong with it either. Capitalism at its best. After all
>the money the Yankees wasted all these years on scrubs, they can give this
>guy his 25K.

I don't think he's entitled to it. If the Yanks own the copyright for New York
Yankees, then they should own that domain. I think it's wrong. I heard IMUS say
that someone bought the name "Imus Ranch" and was holding him hostage. This
ranch is for kids with cancer. Capitalism at its finest.

Vinnie S.

http://www.monmouth.com/~enzo

[The Voice of Bay Ridge]

George is REALLY in the right here. I hope that the Yankees break this guys
back financially.

Domain squatters are nothing more than sneak thieves, and deserve what they
get.