FC: Radio host Michael Savage loses bid to censor SavageStupidity.com

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Fri Jun 27 2003 - 19:10:34 PDT

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: Jim Lippard on Dept of Homeland Security's illegal faxspam"

    Previous Politech messages:
    
    "Public Citizen will defend SavageStupidity.com in lawsuit"
    http://www.politechbot.com/p-04813.html
    
    "Radio host Michael Savage nastygrams SavageStupidity.com"
    http://www.politechbot.com/p-04691.html
    
    ---
    
    From: "Thomas Leavitt" <thomasleavittat_private>
    To: "Paul Levy" <PLEVYat_private>
    Cc: "Declan McCullagh" <declanat_private>
    Subject: Fw: DECISION - Talk Radio Network, Inc. v Thomas Leavitt aka 
    Leavitt Enterprises, FA0304000155182
    Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 18:38:47 -0700
    
    This turned out to be a simple case. We won. SavageStupidity.com stays on
    the air, bigger, better and bolder than ever! :)
    
    Regards,
    Thomas Leavitt
    
    The Panel finds that the &lt;savagestupidity.com&gt; domain name is not
    confusingly similar to Complainant's mark because the disputed domain name
    includes the term "stupidity" after Complainant's mark. Internet users would
    not confuse Respondent's domain name with Complainant's mark because the
    addition of the term "stupidity" indicates that the disputed domain name has
    no affiliation with Complainant's mark. See Robo Enter., Inc. v. Tobiason,
    FA 95857 (Nat. Arb. Forum Dec. 24, 2000) (noting that using a negative
    domain name for the purposes of criticism, such as
    &lt;walmartcanadasucks.com&gt;, does not create confusion with the service
    mark of Complainant); see also Lockheed Martin Corp. v. Parisi, D2000-1015
    (WIPO Jan. 26, 2001) (finding that "common sense and a reading of the plain
    language of the Policy support the view that a domain name combining a
    trademark with the word "sucks" or other such language clearly indicates
    that the domain name is not affiliated with the trademark owner and
    therefore &lt;lockheedmartinsucks.com&gt; and &lt;lockheedsucks.com&gt;
    cannot be considered confusingly similar to LOCKHEED MARTIN).
    <P>
    The Panel finds that Respondent's domain name is not confusingly similar to
    Complainant's mark because the &lt;savagestupidity.com&gt; domain name is
    comprised of generic terms "savage" and "stupidity." See Energy Source Inc.
    v. Your Energy Source, FA 96364 (Nat. Arb. Forum Feb. 19, 2001) (finding
    that Respondent has rights and legitimate interests in the domain name where
    "Respondent has persuasively shown that the domain name is comprised of
    generic and/or descriptive terms, and, in any event, is not exclusively
    associated with Complainant's business"); see also Zero Int'l Holding v.
    Beyonet Servs., D2000-0161 (WIPO May 12, 2000) (stating that "[c]ommon words
    and descriptive terms are legitimately subject to registration as domain
    names on a 'first-come, first-served' basis").
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Lewis, Steve" <SLEWIS@arb-forum.com>
    To: <thomasleavittat_private>; <wkaneat_private>
    Cc: <udrpat_private>; <rtat_private>; <udrpat_private>
    Sent: Friday, June 27, 2003 10:28 AM
    Subject: DECISION - Talk Radio Network, Inc. v Thomas Leavitt aka Leavitt
    Enterprises, FA0304000155182
    
    
    Attached is a copy of the decision from the Panel in the above referenced
    case.
    
    Mutual Jurisdiction:  Location of the Registrar
    
    
      <<Notice of Decision.doc>>  <<savagestupidity.com DECISION.DOC>>
    
    Steve Lewis
    Case Coordinator
    National Arbitration Forum
    slewis@arb-forum.com
    
    
    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
    You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
    This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
    Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
    Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jun 27 2003 - 19:44:52 PDT