NEW YORK -- Actress Julia Roberts has been granted control of an Internet domain name that bears her name, in a decision said to have broader implications for famous individuals seeking quick resolution of cybersquatting disputes.
On Monday, an international arbitration panel ruled that an accused cybersquatter who registered www.juliaroberts.com, had no legitimate interest in the domain name and used it in bad faith.
In finding bad-faith intent, the World Intellectual Property Organization panel cited evidence that the defendant, Russell Boyd, had registered names of several famous movie and sports figures, and even tried to auction off the Julia Roberts Internet address on eBay Inc.'s (ebay) Web site.
The United Nations agency serves as one of four designated arbitrators under a dispute-resolution procedure adopted late last year by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. The organization was established by the United States to manage Internet domain names. Domain-name registrants are required to submit to the panel's authority but may challenge decisions in court.
Most disputes resolved through the arbitration forum have centered on commercial names. In reaching its decision, ICANN arbitrators are showing a willingness to extend protection to famous individuals, even though they haven't formally registered their names as trademarks.
