JimMorrison.com in dispute at WIPO.
The estate of the late rocker Jim Morrison wants the domain name JimMorrison.com, and it is taking its fight to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under UDRP rules.
The domain name is currently owned by Rick Sentieri. The web site at JimMorrison.com includes lots of content that doesn’t exactly paint a coherent picture. The site proclaims:
Welcome to the home of Jim Morrison’s Fantasy Magazine. It is the place where reality is completely and most definitely out of the question…Our mission brings together a unified society with the commitment to supply a forum for undiscovered talent. Rick Sentieri, Publisher. We help to bring dreams to life. By assiting (sic) artist with publishing and marketing thier (sic) artistry.
The web site includes links to everything under the sun, including “Health”, “Finance”, and “Shopping”. The meta tag description for the site reads “Shop, listen to poetry, learn about the world or explore the paranormal.”
Morrison, who died in 1971, was best known as lead singer of The Doors.
The arbitration case is still pending compliance checks at WIPO.
James Morrison says
Why do they have any more right to the site then I do? I’m Jim Morrison and I’m still alive…
Rex Rizz says
Rick Sentieri, owns the domain name jimmorrison.com and has for years, that’s his property in cyber space…it’s his home address online and the laws protects his rights to be there, just like the laws protects home owners in the real world, where they live. No one is allowed to take possession, of your home…unless you sign an agreement to sell it, at a fair market price…That’s the free enterprise system in action.
Andrew Allemann says
Sorry Rex, it doesn’t work that way with domain names.
Very interesting says
Looks like this Mr. Sentieri fellow has owned this domain name & website for approx. 13 years… Keeping up with the renewals & hosting fees.
Some people don’t understand the hours of time doing all the programming, layout, research, maintenance, updates, promotion & management of website that continues to induce heavy traffic.
It’s my opinon that they should offer him compensation for all of his investment of time & money over these many years. Also a lump sum just for releasing the URL to the Morrison Estate Owners.
Has A URL appraisal been done yet? It is definitley needed if not.
The value of this URL obviously will increase ten fold over the years, since the namesake is such a global historic Legend/Icon.
Thank you –
a concerned Webmaster
Saint Subversive says
Im wondering how it is that the estate of James Douglas Morrison is somehow legally entitled to own the domain name ‘jimmorrison.com’ – there have been many other people named Jim Morrison besides the lead singer of The Doors (as one of them pointed out in an earlier comment to this article). Personally, I think the person that owned the domain name before was ROBBED, and at the very least he should be compensated financially for the real value of the domain name. Ill boycott anything the Morrison estate tries to do with that site, and chances are, they wont do a damned thing with it. Disgusting.