The Easy way to beat the URL bully

Peasants revolt against cheeky budget company

By Kieren McCarthy • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 9th November 2000 17:04 GMT

Cybersquatting, real or otherwise, has entered a new era where so-called offenders have started huddling together to collectively beat off predatory big companies. You can't blame them either considering the way WIPO has decided to resolve domain name challenges.

Interestingly, the company we are referring to has already lost two WIPO challenges - namely, EasyGroup - owners of EasyJet, EasyRentacar and EasyEverything. It wasn't surprising that EasyGroup lost the cases against easymaterials.com and easy-jet.com because it didn't bloody deserve them. Neither were taken "in bad faith" nor do they try to capitalise on the EasyGroup brand (although orange featured quite heavily) and "easy" is a pretty common word and a good one to use in connection with a business.

But that hasn't stop the group sending threatening letters to just about every URL featuring the word easy. And so a group of easy owners have got together, appropriately enough, under the URL easyprotest.com. Set up and led by easycar.com, the site's aim is "to advise companies and individuals of their legal rights in relation to defending themselves against the threat of litigation and offer support, guidance and access to information that will assist in their defence and planning." Only owners of sites beginning with easy need apply.

Good. We applaud you Easycar and hope you act as an inspiration to others. Maybe the worm has finally turned. ®