Dell in ding dong over cybersquatting

PC giant Dell is suing 23 people for alleged cybersquatting after a series of domains using the word Dell were registered. The action has been taken against 17 companies and six individuals, according to a report in the Austin Business Journal, who have registered names such as Dellbackup.com, Dellsolutions.com and Dellparts.com. Fifteen of those accused are based in the US, along with two in Taiwan, two in Korea, one in Canada, one in China, one in Chile and one in the UK. Around 30 Dell-like names are at the centre of the row, with less than a third actually being used. Dell is arguing that this is a clear example of cybersquatting – registering a domain akin to a registered trademark with no intention of actually using it. The PC vendor wants all the sites shut down and the URLs handed over. Quoted in the Austin Business Journal, Dell representative, Adrianne MacPherson, said: "First and foremost, we want them to cease using the Dell name. The whole purpose of the suit is just to protect our intellectual property in order to eliminate any kind of consumer confusion resulting from Dell being in the domain names." The case was filed in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, in Austin on 11 February. ® Related stories: Warner threatens Harry Potter fan sites Teen mag porn squat row blows up US outlaws cybersquatting