Jay Leno wins domain name dispute

Talk Show host and celebrity Jay Leno has scored a victory over an individual from Wisconsin who registered the domain name, weeknightswithjayleno.com. Garrison Hintz claims that he registered the domain name with the intention of creating a fan site about Jay Leno; however, the site has instead served as an advertisement portal, since its initial registration on December 13, 2008.

Hintz further claimed that he “had no choice” about the ads placed on the site, because his domain registrar parked the domain and placed the ads on there without his consent. Leno argued that the domain contained his first and last name, which is a common law trademark, and is confusingly similar enough to steer Internet users looking for his show to the wrong place, possibly even into unwanted advertisements. Hintz countered that he received no money from the ads.

It is not clear why Hintz never created his planned fan site, a claim which only made him look like he was lying. As such, the WIPO panel found that he had registered the domain in bad faith, with the intent of making revenue, and even if he did not intend to make a profit, he made no effort to rectify the situation. As a result, they ordered Hintz to transfer the domain name to Leno. Jay Leno recently left the Tonight Show but is expected to start his own talk show, for which Internet traffic may be more important than ever.

Source: UDRPSearch
Photo: Flickr