Tucker Carlson’s publication The Daily Caller buys domain name KeithOlbermann.com.
From one political pundit to another: I own you!
Tucker Carlson has acquired the domain name KeithOlbermann.com. Actually, it’s Carlson’s The Daily Caller that acquired the domain name, and now shows this:
Apparently Olbermann has been blasting The Daily Caller of late. So the publication bought the domain name from the current owner, a Virginia man who was parking the domain name.
Lest you think Olbermann is the only pundit to not wrap up his domain name, Tucker Carlson had a similar problem himself. The conservative pundit had to go to the World Intellectual Property Forum to get TuckerCarlson.com through arbitration. One has to wonder if Carlson will find himself on the receiving end of a UDRP complaint very soon.
Brad says
So Tucker Carlson wins his domain through a UDRP then pulls this crap.
Idiot.
Brad
Andrew Allemann says
@ Brad – maybe that’s what gave him the idea?
Henry says
Put simply, “An ill advised expenditure”.
Henry.
Pat says
I hope they paid a fortune for it. Morons.
jason says
i used to own this name.
olbermann passed on it
jason says
id also like to add i bought this on tdnam last year for $245
Kevin says
You would be surprised what a deal they got on this name…
Hilariously, I know for a fact that both K.O. and MSNBC was offered the name last year and apparently wasn’t interested in it. Olbermann…What a jackass.
Rob Sequin says
Looks like a first amendment use if you ask me.
Olberman is a celebrity so he can be criticized and looks like fair use, satire etc.
I own many politicians names and I have landing pages that they don’t like. That’s my first amendment right and I have never been challenged by any of them.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Rob Sequin – but do you run ads on those political sites?
Rob Sequin says
Indirectly.
I have about five politician’s names as their name .com.
I point the domains to a page at my Cuba related site with a news article that is not flattering to them in any way.
By default, ads run in the article and in the right hand column.
I don’t think running ads negates my rights or legitimate use or creates any bad faith.
Most landing pages say that I own the domain and the landing page is an expression of my freedom of speech.
I would LOVE to be challenged by any one of these politicians.
Johnny says
Olbermann probably will never get the name through litigation at this point. Tucker will just look at any costs of defending lawsuits as free PR.
At the end of the day, every time KeithOlbermann.com is mentioned, Olbermann looks kind-of like an idiot – cheap or stupid, or both. A net win for Tucker, no other way to spin it.
tcat says
This is politics. He bought the domain name for publicity purposes.
I’m sure if Tucker Carlson has been through this personally himself, he knows he will probably have to give up the domain. In the meantime, he has Olbermann whining about him every night on his program. That’s free advertisement.
If Olbermann is smart, he will say nothing about this. Don’t give Tucker what he wants. However, I have a feeling Olbermann won’t be able to help himself. He tends to be full of himself.
So I would look for Tucker to bait him on a daily basis.
John Berryhill says
“This is politics.”
Not between commercial competitors, it isn’t. This is one media organization diverting traffic from another, neither of whom are political figures.
As of now, the site doesn’t even feature criticism of Olbermann, but re-directs to a news publication with no indication that it is intended as some sort of slam.
Barry Lebovitz says
Olbermann > Tucker FTW.
Ramiro Canales says
I agree with John’s analysis. In 2002, I hesitated buying karlrove.com and finally decided against. I didn’t want someone from the National Security Agency knocking on my door.
Ari Goldberger says
John is right on target. Tucker Carlson has the 1st Amendment right to say all he wants about Olbermann but, if he uses a domain name, he’s subject to the UDRP and ACPA. I believe Carlson’s actions are a clear violation of UDRP Paragraph 4(b)(iii)
“you have registered the domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor.”
Enrico Schaefer says
New York Magazine article ..
http://tinyurl.com/29gpcq8
Karl Kronenberger thinks Kieth Olbermann does not have trademark rights in his name despite the TV show “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” … Interesting
http://tinyurl.com/2bbhs8l
Andrew Allemann says
@ Enrico – that would be a stretch, especially in a UDRP. It’s clear that Tucker thinks Olbermann is a celebrity and bought it for that reasion.
John Berryhill says
“Karl Kronenberger thinks”
Man, they always bury the big news beneath the headlines!
(happy Friday, Karl)
Paul says
Cybersquatting: look it up. Articles concerning cybersquatting that I’ve read indicates the law is pretty clear that Tucker is in the wrong. To the gentleman above who owns several domain names for politicians…this may concern you as well. First Amendment has nothing to do with it, but naturally that is Tucker’s grandstand defense.
Interesting point: Had they registered KeithOlbermannSucks.com it would not have been a problem.
maxine says
Hilarious!