Addicting.com owner keeps domain and pays token amount to Addicting Games.
A lawsuit over the use of Addicting.com has been settled.
Addicting Games sued Addicting.com in an in rem action, claiming that the domain name was cybersquatting.
While the domain name indeed showed ads related to online games, it appears that the owner of Addicting.com owned it before Addicting Games gained any rights in the Addicting mark. That means the domain owner didn’t violate the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) and transferring the domain to Addicting Games would be an inappropriate remedy.
Instead, Addicting.com’s owner Federal Investment Group, LLC has agreed (pdf) to pay $7,500 to Addicting Games and to refrain from using the domain in a way related to games. It has agreed to a $1,500-a-day penalty if it does, plus the potential to have the domain transferred to Addicting Games.
Federal Investment Group has smartly removed parked ads from the domain.
Both parties will pay their own attorneys’ fees.
snoopy1267 says
So I guess there were just hoping the owner didn’t show up and defaulted with this “in rem” action. Sounds like a bad call and I’m sure more than $7,500 will get added to the price if they ever try to buy it. They’ve probably wasted more than the $7,500 settlement on attorney’s fees.
John Berryhill says
“They’ve probably wasted more than the $7,500 settlement on attorney’s fees.”
Way more.
FX says
Bill Karamouzis attempted to hijack a domain name and upgrade his URL.
Domain Hijacking FAIL !!
Richard says
The guy is a .com basher anyway, so why is he not going after addicting.games instead? That, I could understand.
thelegendaryjp says
Wait, this was brought by a Bill Karamouzis company?
Andrew Allemann says
Yes, and he seems to have a big chip on his shoulder about it: https://twitter.com/karamouzis/status/1148462413123133440
Richard says
Indeed that was a reverse hijacking attempt.
Attorney fees likely low 6 figures. $7.5k in return.. Thanks for playing.
Snoopy says
Hopefully Weslow will learn his lesson. Now let’s see what happens with his similar in rem attempt on scratch.org.
Logan says
Weslow in Darth Vader voice:
“Luke, I am your attorney.”
Richard says
His lesson? The guy gets paid no matter the outcome. Each case is a $100k guaranteed paycheck win or lose.
Mark Thorpe says
What a waste of time and money! Trying to play both sides of the fence. Not cool.
Adam says
For every attorney that tells someone this is not a good case, there are probably 10 that will take their money.
Anonymous says
I don’t understand. Why doesn’t Bill just buy Addicting.com from its owner?
mannur kumar says
First of all Addictinggames.com is dead mark in 2013. how can they file a lawsuit on addicting.com