Help settle a bet...

[SquirrelDip]

A friend and I have a little bet going and I'm having a difficult time finding the answer...

Way back when, Hustler Magazine had a scratch and sniff centerfold. I recall the scent being fish and he says it's flowers...

Anyone know? Link?

[JimmyJoeBob]

Check the bottom of page 104 in the right column.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wVQfz-UO_acC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=scratch+and+sniff+...0aM4ZGGRg9qyxc

[lordsmurf]

Scratch and sniff edition?

[Grimey]

wow,, you learn something new every day.

[SquirrelDip]

Okay - Lilacs... I'll let him know he's right...

[thecoalman]

Maske a up an official looking web page stating it smells like fish and have one of us upload it to one of our sites .,

[SquirrelDip]

Maske a up an official looking web page stating it smells like fish and have one of us upload it to one of our sites .,

And I used to have the perfect domain... skankyclam.com

[JimmyJoeBob]

Was that your site? I had a e-mail account from there. Loved sending mail from there. The response was always "Where in the hell did you get a email address like that.

[SquirrelDip]

Was that your site? I had a e-mail account from there. Loved sending mail from there. The response was always "Where in the hell did you get a email address like that.

I got it because I had a $1.99 deal from GoDaddy - spent one day at lunch looking for obnoxious domains and it was available. Then I was experimenting with free email servers with web interfaces... I think half a dozen people set up mail accounts.

I also had registered Hurtz2P.com (gaming name I've used) but I received a really nasty letter from the legal firm representing Hertz Enterprises - basically threatening me with a $125K action if I didn't turn over the name to them... (I think I've still got the letter if anyone wants to see it)

[Webster]

I also had registered Hurtz2P.com (gaming name I've used) but I received a really nasty letter from the legal firm representing Hertz Enterprises - basically threatening me with a $125K action if I didn't turn over the name to them... (I think I've still got the letter if anyone wants to see it)

Can they really do it? Actually force you to turn over a registered domain name even if you are not doing anything with the name?

[adam]

Can they really do it? Actually force you to turn over a registered domain name even if you are not doing anything with the name?

Yup.

[SquirrelDip]

Can't seem to find the letter - I'm sure I've got it at work in my archived mail.

Clinton passed a law which basically allows companies to take infringing domain names. Put a stop to all the ransoms people had on company names - before this if you owned the domain "Sony.com" you could make a small fortune selling it.

If I wanted to keep it it I probably could have fought. Also may have some difficulty coming after me as I'm Canadian living in Canada - but I'm sure their lawyer funds are higher than the $1.99 I paid for the domain.

Maybe I'll register it as a .ca

[thecoalman]

That's ridiculous, they probably did a search and sent letters out in mass to anything even remotely related. I don't see the connection and would think they would lose any civil actions.

[adam]

SquirrelDip you are thinking of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act. Its not what allows someone to take a domain name, its actually ICANN itself that allows that. What this Act did was make it an infringement to just purchase and let sit an infringing domain name. Before the act you had to actually use the domain in order to infringe anything (ex: sell products from the site or at least host some content.)

For what its worth, I don't think your domain name was infringing on Hertz's trademark.

[SquirrelDip]

Yes, Anticybersquatting is what their council quoted - and gave me 30 days to turn over the domain. If I failed they threatened to come after me with up to a $125K suit (I forget the exact number). Also, I was just sitting on it and hadn't done anything - GoDaddy put a holding page with advertising on it (I had nothing to do with this) - and, interesting enough, one of the links was to a different car rental company.

Me being the smart ass replied stating that I did not know how to give them the domain but GoDaddy offers a service where by I can sell it. I then asked them to give me a price for which they thought it was worth.

This was where I thought I was being bright - if they came back with a decent value then I'd get a few bucks in my pocket. If it was really low then how could they sue for $125K when they believe it is only worth $X.

The reply was basically that they do not pay for infringing domains. For what it was worth - it wasn't worth pushing any further...

I also do not believe it infringed on their trademark - I never even drew a connection until I got the letter. I do now though - I won't rent a Hertz vehicle for fear of gonorrhoeae...