Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate upheld the state's right to seize the domain names, reasoning they tantamount to "virtual keys for entering and creating virtual casinos from the desktop of a resident in Kentucky."

No its not and give the domains back or I will vote to return Kentucky to the UK. Its all yours, have fun with it

A secret hearing that was CLOSED TO THE DEFENDANTS?!? Well, sure, you have the right to confront your accuser. But you don't have the right to be a party to your own trial, nor the right to defend yourself, apparently. Welcome to the USSA. Sorry, that's not fair. I think modern-day USA is probably worse than cold-war USSR (even McCarthy would be shocked by the "anti-terrorism" laws and policies we've enacted).

Seriously, what does this idiot think gives him authority to control the entire world? I know the US has historically thought that the whole world revolved around it, but it's getting really ridiculous at this point. Who in their right mind would think it's acceptable to shut down global commerce because it's illegal in his own backyard (even though it's perfectly legal elsewhere)? Such a person can no longer be considered intelligent, reasonable, or a member of a first-world nation. Hell, third-world nations don't even try to pull that shit. What makes this judge any different than the pirate ships over in Iran? Speaking of which, this judge stealing the domains because gambling is illegal in Kentucky would be the same as Iran stealing the domain names of Playboy, Penthouse, etc since pornography is illegal in Iran. But for some reason, I doubt this judge would support such an action.

Remember boys and girls, gambling is bad. It'll make you lose your hair, give you warts, make your breath stink, give you gangrene, kill your friends, and poison your food (oh, and for you computer geeks, it'll also replace your porn with images of Janet Reno and her under-arm waddle). That's why we made it illegal -- to protect you. Yes, gambling really is that bad. Unless it's gambling on horse racing. That's good. Gambling on horses will take away that not-so-fresh feeling and get you laid tonight. Oh, and government-sponsored gambling such as state lotteries, Keno, and scratch tickets. Those are good, too. In fact, they're so good, I think we might have a shot at resurrecting Jesus if we can get every US citizen to buy a $20 scratch ticket today, especially if you go take part in your church's Bingo game immediately afterwards (another form of good gambling).

"We believe we put forward a compelling argument that this activity is illegal, unregulated and detrimental to Kentuckians and thus far the court has agreed with us," the spokesman, Jay Blanton, told The Register.

Sorry I live in the states (NY before you ask) and first of all if these fucking rednecks get away with this bullshit we, as a country, might as well take turns wiping out asses with the Constitution as thats what seems to be happening more and more all the time anyway. People wonder why I have a problem with authority, its FUCKING IDIOTS LIKE THESE. Bible belt fucktards who want to take everything to the utter fucking extreme just to "PROTECT" their (in this case) "Kentuckians", let alone probably feel like they are doing the rest of the GODDAMN COUNTRY and maybe even the rest of the WORLD a favor. Seriously did they fucking ask me what I want? I don't really care about gambling but who are THEYto say what I can and can't do? I'M SO SICK AND FUCKING TIRED OF THIS COUNTRY SOMEONE GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!11ONE

(Does this qualify for FotW material?)

/not going anon because I really dont give a shit anymore.

/Flames cause well......I hope these idiots burn

Use of the word "kentucky" is illegal here in Keithistan.

Do Kentucky courts feel that Keithistanni courts should be able to order the seizure of any website domain that has a web page with the character string "kentucky"?

This is the same Kentucky that wanted to charge radio stations royalties for the use of their name when radio stations played Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman". The same Kentucky that wanted royalties for use of the word Kentucky in "Kentucky Fried Chicken" (now called KFC).

Paris because I have far more faith in Paris's common sense than our courts.

"..Shortly after the order was issued, whois records for many of the domains showed they were the property of Kentucky. Interestingly, the handful of addresses we checked at the time of writing appeared to have reverted back to their rightful owner. It's not clear who made the changes or why they were made..."

That is the paragraph that should worry people. What the Kentucky courts do and decide is known (eventually) and also the court officials are public officials who can be challenged.

The people who seem to really control the domain names act in the shadows, with no oversight and no explanation.

If the worthy people of Kentucky want to control their Internet then why we just grant their wish and disconnect them. Purge any and every KY government facility from the DNS system, maybe disconnect them from the backbone. Then just wait and see who screams 'uncle' first.

These guys just don't understand how things like the 'net work -- they need a lesson in civilized behavior. The 'net only functions because of cooperation between its users and providers, nobody actually 'owns' it. We have to tolerate the bad to access the good. I personally don't like things like on-line gambling, porn and the like but I realize that having that stuff on the 'net is the price I pay for getting access to the things that interest me.

the WTO will issue yet another ruling against the USofA.

In the meantime people/organisations/countries affected by this should start an embargo against people & organisations based in Kentucky.

Anyone with a KY address tying to buy stuff finds their Credit Cards refused.(Just like Adobe did to mine last week, retards)

Boycott the Horse Racing Industry

Don't drink KY Bourbon

etc

etc

As you do, send the fact that you are doing so to the Ky Govenor.

Soon, the impact of their decision will make them change their mind.

as an aside, perhaps the people of the county of Kent in Old blighty might start charging Ky for abusing the name of their home county?

Paris because she would be lost without her gigi's.

Nice one ;-) I think you've said all that needs to be said.

...we're all lauighing at you. Again...

It's not quite as funny as Nipplegate, bur nevertheless we're laughing at you.

--

JG

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says "It's an underworld wrought with scams and schemes."

Is he talking about the state's dimwitted government, its horseflesh industry, its jesus industry, on-line gambling, or all four?

Look it up. Kentucky never wanted royalties and they also changed their name back to Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The other popular urban myth is they use food stock so genetically altered that they were legally required to drop the work chicken from their name.

Given that Kentucky is clearly trying to subvert the constitution, which is surely illegal, why doesn't some other state just seize everything under ky.gov? Why haven't the black ops people at the Pentagon not already launched an attack against people who are clearly hell-bent on destroying Freedom?

Isn't that where the locals think "The Dukes of Hazard" is a documentary?

James, these idiots are not worth venting your wrath upon.

Instead, as Blade says "Let it turn!" "Use it!".

Join the EFF, write to your congressthing and senators.

Make contact with people in Kentucky and persuade them to contact their congressthings & senators. Start a groundswell of public opinion with which to smash the career of this idiot.

Chances are it will get defeated on appeal or has been quietly declared illegal (if it hasn't been already) and I'll bet $50 the case was brought as someone's attempt to get themselves noticed,.... that has now backfired.

I think you need a hug!

Who else to apply said hug?

1. Do they have the legal authority over the domain registrars to make this happen?

2. If they stop THE WHOLE WORLD from accessing said domains, do not the domain owners have grounds to sue Kentucky for basically destroying their business, which is legal in a 1000 other places?

@KFC Urban myth - WHERE do I sign up to get my work chicken?? I've got loads of tasks piled up that maybe it could take care of. (sorry, I'm really not making fun - I just love the idea of a "work chicken" 8)

@James O'Brien - which stereotype are you trying to push, the Kentucky=rednecks one, or the New Yorkers=jerks one?

@Reg - thanks for including that last paragraph - I've been much confused on that very point, since I could never verify that any of the mentioned sites were unavailable... helps to know you guys (aka smarter than me) are confused as well.

Finally a proper application of the Commerce Clause. Since Wickard v. Filburn, perhaps earlier, it has mostly been been used as a government jack boot against individuals, it's nice to see it used on stupid politicians and their judicial henchmen.

This is clearly an interstate commerce issue (as the Internet crosses state lines and even failing that the servers in question are NOT inside of Kentucky's jurisdiction) and is therefor a matter for the FEDERAL courts to decide. Why is this jerk-off local judge even allowed to *review* this case?

And what retarded registrars followed this order so that I may NEVER even consider using them?

"This is clearly an interstate commerce issue (as the Internet crosses state lines and even failing that the servers in question are NOT inside of Kentucky's jurisdiction) and is therefor a matter for the FEDERAL courts to decide."

You know, though you might have the best intentions, people like you are the reason why the US of A are hated by more than half the world population, despised by a third and laughed at by the others. It is not something for any US court to decide, unless the websites are hosted in the US -which they are not.

The courts in this country have simply gone off the deep end. "Judicial Activist" is a term that the left LOVES as it is often the ONLY way they can get there crazy shit implemented (take a close look at the states that have same sex marriage. How many where implemented by judges and how many by legislation or direct vote of the people? How many have voted to ban it at the state constitutional level?). The same goes for a lot of the "green" crap that was forced down people's throats by the courts.

Hell, even the Supreme Court has gone off the deep end more than once by trying to create law from the bench. That whole Roe vs. Wade is a VERY classic example.

Now you have some two bit tyrant/judge who has decided that his authority will reach as far as he wishes it to reach and the fact that his authority stops at the state line and these web sites are located in another country is completely beside the point because HE has decided his authority extends around the globe. Welcome to the 21st century.

A lot of us get laughed at when we try to limit judges to doing there fucking job and not allow them to create law from the bench. Normally, it's the folks on the left doing the laughing because they think we are just in opposition to WHAT they are trying to do (in my case, that is often quite true). But in reality, most of us are FAR more against HOW they are going about it.

And we are against how they are going about it because that slippery slope leads to stupid rulings like this. Just remember this the next time you are cheering on some other stupid ass judge making up some other stupid ass law that you HAPPEN TO AGREE with from the bench.

The problem with the American system is that fuckwits like the ones involved in this case are elected. So to make a name for themselves and make it look like they are doing a great job they make up legal cases like these. Police chiefs, judges, district attorneys should only get the job if they are qualified and after a through interviewing process. They should not get the job just because they speak the loudest and get loads of people who don't know much about the legal system to vote for them.

How amazing, a bunch of backwoods hicks, (I can't see such behaviour could be carried out by reasonable human beings,) have decided to take a few things they find objectionable. I wonder if GAAAAAD told them to do it.

It does highlight the increase in power idiots have received via the internet., and the stupidity of American politicians. (Please note, I concider politicians to be a different species from humans, American or otherwise.)

If they get away with this then the only way out will be to take control of the internet (highly simplified, I know.) away from the colonials.

One would think that the embarrassment of inflicting gee dubya bush on the world would be enough wouldn't you. But no, now courts here in the states have to start doing shit like this. This whole fiasco has been so unbelievably tremendously spectacularly STUPID that I can barely wrap my head around it. The common sense portion of my brain makes it hard for me grasp the full depth of the KY courts ruling, it keeps wanting to reject the abject and chronic and totally arrogant case of assholia displayed by the complete fucktards who brought and prosecuted this case to begin with.

This my friends is how 'merica does it's twatdangle. And for that (and david blane) I apologize.

Flames, cos someone needs to show these morons the business end of a piece of molten steel until they realize there are consequences to embarrassing the entire country on the world stage.

Kentucky Fuckin C*nts

I'm with you on this one. I'm now boycotting KY Jelly. >:(

@RRRoamer

Don't see what this has to do with "lefties" or "green 'crap'"

Actually, didn't even know that there were any "lefties" in the US.

Oh, I remember now, "left" means "not as right wing as the other lot".

I suppose that until politics are understood in your republic, everyone on El Reg will be bombarded by off topic trans-atlantic ramblings about those terrible "greens" and "lefties".

Aren't we lucky you didn't assume the judge was one of those terrorist "rag heads" trying to take away your gawd-given right to gamble?