Latest UDRP Stupidity: Unix.org, Canadian.biz

The Uniform Dispute Resolution Procedure, an expedited process for allowing corporations to steal domain names, continues to be abused as arbitrators stretch the definitions of "cyber-squatting" to any length in order to find for the corporate complainants. Lunenburg writes "Unix.Org, a site that was apparently used for noncommercial discussion of Unix(tm) operating systems, has been ruled a "cybersquatter" by a WIPO panel and given to the X/Open group. In spite of not actually matching any cybersquatting criteria, a WIPO panelist felt that by providing links to commercial sites, Unix.ORG was acting in "bad faith" and thus should be given over to the Open group." And WEFUNK writes "Exploiting an obvious technical error to help build their case, Molson Inc. has been awarded the seemingly generic canadian.biz domain from the original owner who "registered this name because I am Canadian and want to develop a Canadian business directory" and is now appealing to the courts." John Gilmore has a bit of commentary.

related 2600 story

[bberg]

Reminds me of the problems 2600 was having with ford. Ford didn't like them linking [fuckgeneralmotors.com] to thier site so they sued them. 2600 then found out that ford was sueing a bunch of people for stupid reasons, such as Jaguarenthusiastsclub.com, which is an animal site. You can read about it HERE [fordreallysucks.com]. The case recently got droped BTW.

Re:Canadian.biz

[fiftyLou]

Molson figures they should have canadian.biz but left canadian.ca to wallow in the sorry state it is?
Kinda leaves a bad taste in the mouth...

Re:Canadian.biz

[Anonymous Coward]

Much agreed.

As a Canadian, I will tell you this: Molson, Inc likes to portray itself as THE REPRESENTATIVE of all things "canadian". Most suckers go gladly along with this, proudly wearing their corporate logo that claims "I am Canadian", and spouting that idiotic "Rant" commercial from a few years back (Guess where the actor, "Joe Canadian" is now? You guessed it...south of the border, working in the States. What was that about being Canadian again?) The primary market for Molsons is the brain-dead 20-something university "students" (so you can see why they've been so successful).

Nevermind that Molsons is the McDonald's of Canadian beer--terrible pisswater. They're also the Microsoft of Canadian beer, as they go around signing "exclusive" deals with bars and pubs--which is why you can only get Molson swill on tap at most canadian bars (look for the usual line up: Molson Canadian, Algonquin honeybrown, Coors Lite....if you see that, they've signed "the deal").

Does anyone know if--irony of ironies--Molsons has non-Canadian owners, like Labatt's?

Uh

[GigsVT]

Did anyone bother to even check the wayback machine before jumping to conclusions? (You see it's a game, where you jump to conclusions, nevermind)

Link [archive.org]

Apparently they had some cheesy links up, and nothing up since 1998.

Guess what, they WERE squatters./B>

Go see the archive for yourself. If that isn't a squatted domain, I don't know what is.

Re: "I Am Canadian"

[E-prospero]

"Foster's. Australian for Piss."

Ok - time to clear this one up right now. Nobody in Australia - and I mean nobody - drinks Fosters. I can't even recall the last time I saw if available for sale in a liquor store, or on tap in a pub.

Oh, sure, we have some very ordinary mass produced, mass marketed beers (Caslemaine XXXX, Swan Gold, Emu Export, and others). We also have some really good mass market beers (Redback would be a personal favourite; even Victoria Bitter isn't that bad). However, calling Fosters an Australian beer is so far from the truth it defies description. It's not brewed here, and it's not sold here - so how exactly is it Australian?

Russ %-)