Last week we wrote a story on Herman Cain who at the time had just surged ahead of the Republican field of candidates for President based largely on his 999 Tax plan.
Yesterday the site Politico.com picked up the story found out that the owner of the domain name 999plan.com was none other than David Corn, the Washington editor of the liberal Mother Jones magazine and MSNBC/NBC News analyst.
According to Politico story Corn registered the domain on September 7, for $17.68 and another $22 to make it forward to Mother Jones’ website
However according to the story Corn has been Twitting about registering the domain and offering it for sale to Herman Cain.
Politico asked Corn “what if Cain, offered him $9.99 for it?”
“Depends on how many zeroes were tacked on to that,” said Corn. “It’s going to cost him more than just the price of a few pizzas.”
Of course if it was a domainer who registered the domain, Politico’s story would probably have taken a different tone and direction.
While Mr. Cane clearly did not obtain a US trademark on the term 999plan, clearly its a term he made up and its value only lies in 999plan because of Mr. Cain.
Someone argue Mr. Cane should or does have common law trademark rights in the term.
The Politico story treats the registrant out as a smart guy who made a nice move in grabbing the domain name.
The repeatedly tweeted Herman Cane directly egging him to buy the domain.
Sounds a lot like cybersquatting.
So it really shouldn’t matter if it was a domainer and not a mainstream guy who did the registering.
I don’t know what’s sadder… The hypocrisy, or the fact that someone paid $40 to register and forward a domain.
Yes, if a domainer had done this the article would’ve taken a different tone, but Mother Jones is a political magazine, the 999Plan is a political plan. Presently incarnated, their squatting the domain is kind of a legitimate form of political protest.
The dominer method would’ve been based on links to penis enlargement pills, netflix subscriptions and FOREX trading systems.
Mike, given this national exposure this year, hope to see you interviewed on Fox or CNN soon :-).
David Corn’s 999plan.com has been devalued, just saw on the Sunday news shows that Cain now has a 909 plan.
LS
Use is an issue regarding bad faith
But constantly tweeting Herman directly telling him you registered this domain and asking him, almost egging him on to buy it is not bad faith under a UDRP?
Hasn’t UDRP already held that asking someone to buy a domain does not- in and of itself- constitute bad faith?
I could swear that was a cornerstore of some decision affirming for the respondent, but LOL @ whatever decision is made by that lame kangaroo court. No consistency whatsoever.
But yeah. There’s probably bad faith there. Seems to be in the murkier area of speech rights.
Last week the Washington Post ran a front page story on how the Romney, Perry and other campaigns are buying domains with their opponents’ names but trying to disguise what they’re up to behind proxy services — and many of the names were quite derogatory and clearly potential targets of UDRP or ACPA actions — with the story noting that this now standard operating procedure for candidates of all parties.
So if any of them get on a high horse regarding IP protection, remember that a key principle for far too many politicians is do as I say, not as I do.
He does?
http://fragerfactor.blogspot.com/2011/10/whether-for-pizza-ads-or-herman-cain.html
also NineNineNine.com is already registered, in july
only tells ones again that people are very jealous with self-entitlement complex mostly
agree with mhb.
the first publicised squatter back in the 90’s was a journalist.
and not much has changed. journalists are some of the worst offenders.
they don’t just squat and make extortionist statements like mr. corn.
some have gone on to start companies that partner with isp’s, snoop on consumers and inject advertising.
lovely.
Per Philip Corwin –
It might just demonstrate how overbroad highroad “interpretations” of UDRP can be – I think it is great how the libs are mitigating our horrible existance as Cybersquatters” (oops – Domain Investers) – and apparantly – according to Mr. Corwin – other politicians apparantly feel they are somehow above it all – How many ???Sucks.com domains have been lost to our UDRP arm chair quarterbacks ????
Actually comical – very good post Michael.
That’s a neat trick Dave 😉
“999” is not a brand of goods or services originating with Mr. Cain.
Besides, it is confusingly similar to “666”.
John
I’m not suggesting “999” is brandable but “999plan” something that had no meaning until Mr. Cane, well branded it
@ John Berryhill
“Besides, it is confusingly similar to “666”
WHAT? How so? Simply because the numbers flipped upside down make it that way?
While I don’t pretend to be one of the world’s great Trademark lawyers, I’d doubt that the majority of our peers would agree with that statement.
“WHAT? How so? Simply because the numbers flipped upside down make it that way?”
It’s a joke, Gene. see Rev. 13:15-18.
“but “999plan” something that had no meaning until Mr. Cane, well branded it”
There are a lot of things that are uniquely associated with ‘something’, but do not constitute a trade or service mark. The phrase “Son of Sam” didn’t have any particular meaning until it was adopted by a serial killer in New York. That still doesn’t make it a trade or service mark.
John,
I thought it was more confusing to the “John 3:16 Plan” which is promoted regularily at sporting events and in the crowds where TV cameras can pick it up !!
Brian
Hey no picking on Tebow
Yes – benched Josh Freeman yesterday in favor of the “Tim 3:16 Plan” – I am now in first place with a “5 – 2 plan” in my league
Incidentally, David Corn and Phil Corwin look like they could have been separated at birth.