Collegiate conference wants Pac12.com domain name.
After last year’s conference realignment the Pac-10 now has 12 teams. As it looks to rebrand itself as the Pac-12 it ran into a snag — it doesn’t own Pac12.com.
The conference just filed a domain name dispute with World Intellectual Property Forum against the owner of Pac12.com to get the domain name.
But the owner of that domain is throwing up a smoke screen with a page geared to the late rapper Tupac. A visit to Pac12.com says “Tupac Lives!” and features an Amazon affiliate widget with twelve items. The widget is titled “A 12Pac from Tupac”.
Clever.
This isn’t the Pacific-10’s first domain name challenge. Pac10.com used to be owned by Marchex until the organization picked it up in 2009.
The domain holder should not lose this domain – clearly he/she isn’t infringing on ANYTHING. The pac10/12 should pay-up or walk, IMHO.
– TBC
It has a creation date of July 8 2005. That is close to 6 years ago. I think the current owner has a decent case. It would be a much better case if they had done more with it then just that stupid Amazon widget.
For those of you not paying attention, this case could prove to be THE WATERSHED UDRP case of this decade. Pac12.com was reg’d in 2005, the Pac-12 conference was formed in 2010, yet the new conference believes it has a right TO TAKE this domain.
If this domain is granted to the pac-12 conference under URDP, I don’t believe it’s safe to “invest” in domains anymore. Would love to read some comments on this by someone with more experience and/or insight with the UDRP process and the potential importance of this specific case.
– TBC
The current owner of the domain wasnt the registrant in 2005
Big20 makes good points here
good luck to rightful owner of pac12.com, the current owner
pac 10 should be very grateful if seller decides to sell
to STEAL from him via udrp is a disgrace
keep an eye on this one
if owner loses maybe we should post the names of the thieves
the panel and those on board at pac10
Interestingly enough, though the Pac-10 does own pac10.com, they don’t even redirect that to the domain they use (pac-10.org). They own and redirect pac-10.com. So they’re going to claim a right to pac12.com when it was registered five years before the Pac-10 expanded and they don’t currently use the pac10.com domain?
Curious to see how this one plays out.
When the owner of Pac12.com wins this case, he should put porn site up – now THAT would be funny.
@Andrew,
When did the current owner acquire this domain? If it was before the new Pac12 was named, would he not be in the clear?
Oh really? Was the domain transferred to a new owner since the Pac-10 announced expansion? I guess it makes a difference if it was acquired after the Pac-10 would have a claim to “12” things?
@ HammerTime – yes, it looks like the current owner acquired it after the Pac 10 announced its expansion to 12 teams.
Even if he hadn’t there will still be some question to the case. If I register DieHard5.com before the series announces a 5th installment I might still have purchased it in bad faith.
This kind of reverse land grab is one more reason why the Venture Capitalists and Private Equity money men will stay away from investing in startups and others in development.
Pac10 doesn’t care about that, of course, but this whole thing has a chilling effect on domaining’s efforts to be taken seriously by other industries.
Interesting case given that the name changed hands after the announcement of the pac 10 expansion to 12 teams. No doubt just another innocent hard working domainer being beaten up by the man. Lol. You know domainers make lawyers look respectable. Guess the guy had a sudden urge to honor tupac 12 years after his death. Who cares if it hasnt been 12 years since he died. Small detail
Shouldn’t they be after pac12.org then?
I can;t see a way that the dispute is judged in foavor of pac10, the current owner should just keep his head up
What do you mean, “clever.” The SITE precedes the formation of the PAC-12 by SIX YEARS. It’s not like the guy ran out and got the domain after hearing the announcement. The PAC-12 are idiots. They should have just made an offer to the owner. Instead, they’ll now spend as much or more money on lawyers and get a boatload of bad publicity for their trouble.
@ Figs – actually, the guy who owns the site picked it up a day or two after the PAC-10 expansion began.
we’ll if that is the case they should have thought of buying the domain before they announce the expansion to PAC12. For sure they have planned this long before. Thsi is what happens if you dont include IT aspects in your future plans.
@ shogun – true, except that the domain was already registered. I agree they should have worked on this earlier though.
Andrew – Stop posting fiction. I registered pac12.com in 2008, and still own it.
sorry, 2005.
@ Owner – not according to historical whois.
Regardless of what you think you know, I have owned the domain since 2005, when I registered it.
@ Owner – so then who is Steve Holds, who shows up as the owner until recently?
I am.
@ Owner – just sent you a note.
Andrew – If I could PM you or chat, it would be easier. Send an email to any of the accounts the have ever been associated with the domain, and I will respond.
Any idea on the story behind how they got Pac10.com from Marchex?
@ Owner – my guess is they just sent a cease & desist to Marchex. I don’t see any UDRP filings about it.