New York photographer must give up domain name with spoof Absolut Vodka ad.
A joint with your Absolut Vodka?
V&S Vin & Sprit Aktiebolag, the company behind Absolut Vodka and its iconic advertising campaigns, has won the transfer of the domain name AbsolutCannabis.com from a New York photographer.
Brantley Carroll registered the domain name and published a mock Absolut ad on the site for Absolut Cannabis.
He apparently offered copies of the mock ad for sale through the web site.
Now the site — which will disappear from the web within 10 days — says it is meant to be satire about alcoholism and drugs.
The site’s title now reads “POP CULTURE SATIRE ABSOLUT VODKA Photographer has deadly message on alcoholism and race!”
Carroll writes:
THIS PAGE WAS CREATED AS SATIRE AND AS AN EDITORIAL PIECE ON BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS IN AMERICA. IF YOU ARE BLACK IN AMERICA AND A TEENAGER YOU ARE 12 TIMES AS LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA THAN A WHITE KID THE SAME AGE. MEANWHILE ALCOHOL PRODUCING COMPANYS MAKING A FORTUNE ADVERTISING HARD SPIRITS IN TOUGH INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS…
A National Arbitration Forum panel ruled that, by offering the poster for sale, Carroll had clearly registered the domain name in bad faith.
What would the outcome have been had he not offered the poster for sale through the web site?
Karl Jackson says
Today when domain names are esculating in value especially the .coms many companies are fiercely protecting their brands and reputations. The domain, (removed) is for sale. It is legal, generic and powerful.
Meyer says
“Insert your ad here.”
🙂
Andrew,
Just pointing out to posters that it is
not polite to post your domains for sale
on someone elses blog.
You may remove this posting.
Brantley Carroll says
I am the artist behind the Absolute Cannabis Ad. This fight has only just begun. There are dozens of other alternative parodies, absolutgrass.com, absolutmarley.com,absolutnonsense.com, absolutbullshit.com, absoluthemp.com,absolutpot.com…..
My right to broadcast a public service announcement, opinions, satire, critique,political cartoons photos and illustrations is and always should be a freedom I excercise.
My other sites include
yourperfectforme.com
absolutcannbis.com
sanfrancsicoportraits.com
sanfranciscocommercialphotographer.com
marijuanaphotographs.com
Appreciate your online news service, very well done.
Sincerely
Brantley Carroll