Squatter Holds Amy Winehouse Domain Hostage

[alien51]

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Amy Winehouse's father Mitch said his plans to set up a charity in his late daughter's name had been frustrated by a cyber squatter who had stolen the organisation's intended address on the internet.

Winehouse, a chart-topping singer whose album "Back to Black" helped her win five Grammy awards and international fame, was found dead in her London home on July 23 aged 27. She had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse.

"Instead of concentrating on allocating funding, I am having to send cheques back cos (because) we don't haven't got bank ac (account) in that name," Mitch Winehouse wrote on micro blogging site Twitter.

"We all have to bombard the tabloids websites to put pressure on this dick head who stole our foundation name.

"Our solicitors are all over this, but it takes time. Meanwhile we can't get on with foundation."

According to the Guardian newspaper, the internet address Amywinehousefoundation.org.uk was registered to a "sghuk" who bought it on Aug. 16.

Amywinehousefoundation.com had also been purchased, and amywinehousefoundation.org was registered by someone on July 31 2011.

According to Mitch Winehouse, one of the cyber squatters thwarting his plans allegedly contacted his daughter's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/22/music-winehouse-charity-idUSL5E7JM1G020110822

 

[Vito]

3 different cyber squatters for the .com, .org, and the .org.uk?

One squatter trying to sell the domain to her ex?

and charitable checks going to the wrong address now because of the domain squatter owning the domain rather than amy's family?

I had a lot more to say but kept editing it so I will just leave it at this...

Scumsucking morally corrupt leeches like these should be thrown in jail or made to pay a hefty fine because actions such as these are clearly a crime...or...they should just shoot the bastards.

 

[DU]

Does the world really need another foundation?

Why not choose an existing one. So far the first $x,xxx will be to acquire a domain name and not to help children. Or are the lawyers working pro-bono?

WTF is wrong with WinehouseFoundation.org? Donate the savings to the foundation. It looks like her management own the .com. Seems they have TheAmyWinehouseFoundation.org too but I don't care so much to look much further.

 

[silentg]

why not just go after amywinehouse.com? It's a perfect domain with traffic.

 

[alien51]

So now, the entire spirit of trademark names is lost.

Suddenly, the legitimate heirs to the 'Amy Winehouse' name, is being shooed to use alternative names. It's true, there are a lot of Amy Winehouse domains to choose from. But is that really the point here?

But if it was Pepsi making an issue, even a parody site bearing the Pepsi name is bad faith, and that even regging the name without pointing it to anything, is a crime of TM infringement nonetheless.

 

[shane mac]

The Sun Names and shames "Amy" squatter

A heartless internet "squatter" is sitting on a web address for a charity set up in the memory of Amy Winehouse.

Martin McCann 58, bought the domain name amywinehousefoundation.com - hours after her dad Mitch revealed plans to set up a foundation for drug addicts. McCann also paid £160 to register the Amy Winehouse Foundation ltd with companies house on August 2, despite never having met Mitch.

The Sun tracked him down after ex cabbie Mitch, 60, revealed how he was forced to return donations to fans because he was unable to set up a bank account in that name.

He tweeted "we have to put pressure on this d**khead who stole our foundation name. Our solicitors are all over this but it takes time"

Back to black star Amy was found dead aged 27 at home in Camden, North London, on july 23rd. Three days later Mitch announced plans for a foundation. Last night would be businessman McCann accused Mitch of trying to hijack HIS charity.

He said "I'm not exploiting anything yet. I've just bought some domain name. Anybody could have. It only takes the click of a mouse. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed. He is making every effort to hijack this charity to satiate his own needs for the charity. She's not the only Amy Winehouse in the world"

McCann said he was approached by his internet service provider and asked to hand over the domain name. He added that he wants to "come to an arrangement" with Mitch - but only if he apologises for insulting him on Twitter. McCann of Uxbridge, West London, said "I'm not the d**khead. The D**khead is sitting over there without the name in his possession"

Your thoughts are welcome on this matter, one we should all be interested in.

 

[kev]

Maybe both of them could work together in order to create the foundation. Amy's dad could quite easily have solved this amicably by not resorting to insults. Both parties could have handled it a lot better!

 

[mosilager]

I don't see why her dad just can't use amywinehouse.com for this project, her estate owns this domain name right?.

 

[silentg]

Universal Music Operations Limited owns AmyWinehouse.com.

 

[namenut]

I see ... so whinehouse can violate the law, endlessly, promoting the use of hard core drugs to our youth until it killed her but we worry about her foundation name?

I would hold the names and bury them. I might point them to "Howtobeagoodparent.com". I never heard her family speak out in any effort to save their CASH COW! Yea it must really suck to now have to give checks back.

They should go for "Mydaughterthedrugaddictkilledherslf.com" .net .org or better yet maybe they should have bought "Helpmesavemydaughterfromheroin.com" or "stopmydaughterfrompromotingdrugstokids.com".


NN

 

[DU]

I see ... so whinehouse can violate the law, endlessly, promoting the use of hard core drugs to our youth until it killed her but we worry about her foundation name?

I would hold the names and bury them. I might point them to "Howtobeagoodparent.com". I never heard her family speak out in any effort to save their CASH COW! Yea it must really suck to now have to give checks back.

They should go for "Mydaughterthedrugaddictkilledherslf.com" .net .org or better yet maybe they should have bought "Helpmesavemydaughterfromheroin.com" or "stopmydaughterfrompromotingdrugstokids.com".


NN

Thats unfair.

The parents clearly stated that the blame felt wholly and squarely on the shoulders of her ex-husband and no one else.

 

[billthompson80]

Wow. I never understood the whole domain squatting issue. I remember back when someone took howard sterns name or something, it was big news and back then I had no clue about anything domain or internet related.

 

[DubDubDubDot]

Domain squatting is expected, but to register the foundation's name with the government? This might be the worse case of squatting ever.

promoting the use of hard core drugs to our youth until it killed her

Yesterday the toxicology report came back negative for illegal substances. Her autopsy had been inconclusive. It's looking like stopping drinking for 3 weeks caused a seizure and killed her.

 

[Michelle]

Yesterday the toxicology report came back negative for illegal substances. Her autopsy had been inconclusive. It's looking like stopping drinking for 3 weeks caused a seizure and killed her.

Yes this sadly can happen and a person addicted to drink or drugs should never just stop the body needs to adjust it is just a sad end to a sad story that it was after she decided to turn her life around, ended in the way it did..

The name - not something I personally would have even thought of registering reminds me of MJ but I am not here to judge others either. The media would be behind Dad whatever his name of choice (and ive not looked to see if any are available) but he could have something like amysaid or theamyfoundation.. these are just examples.

Made me think of Elvis also.....He rocked

 

[DU]

Yesterday the toxicology report came back negative for illegal substances. Her autopsy had been inconclusive. It's looking like stopping drinking for 3 weeks caused a seizure and killed her.

Alcohol, oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine... they're all legal...

No word on them.

 

[alien51]

Some drugs are legal only, with prescription.

 

[enlytend]

One more thing for domain industry to be proud of ... .

Buying domains to profit from someone's demise is lame. And registering an organization on it besides (apparently to squeeze out more cash, as this person has no connection to the family?)

Doesn't matter how the deceased lived their life - that's just not right.

I don't think calling this guy a D***head was insulting at all - pretty accurate assessment, imo.

 

[-Joe-]

As much as I disapprove of this, her father's obviously pretty stupid. Why the hell would you publicly announce something like that without planning anything, like registering the domains you'll want, talking with lawyers, etc.

 

[KingDon]

That does make you wonder why the father would announce the name of the charity without securing the domain. I think it's funny how the squatter grabbed the name, and now the family is upset about their "Foundation" not getting to cash those checks they need to keep that "Foundation" running.

If you can't save your own kid from killing themselves with drugs, please don't try and save mine!!!

 

[alien51]

As much as I disapprove of this, her father's obviously pretty stupid. Why the hell would you publicly announce something like that without planning anything, like registering the domains you'll want, talking with lawyers, etc.

Well, there's a lot of stupidity going on in this world today.

Just look at the kind of domain names dropping by the hundreds and thousands each day, and you'll scratch your head thinking what kind of stupid guys would even pay money just to register such names?

Someone posted in the other thread had said, the market is efficient. That perhaps one way to make money is to target the stupid people.