Experts Available to Discuss Domain Names and Cybersquatting.

ExpertSource:

TOPIC: Shortly after Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected as the 265th pope, the rights to domain names such as BenedictXVI.net and BenedictXVI.org were sold, according to an article by CNN/Money. One domain name, BenedictXVI.com, was even sold before the new pope was elected due to the purchaser's educated guesses. The recent purchases have brought attention to the issue of cybersquatting, which occurs when domain names are bought and later sold to business owners to make a profit. Although Congress passed a law in 1999 stating cybersquatters had to give over the rights to domain names to the appropriate trademark holders, some experts say individuals' names, pope or otherwise, are not covered under the law.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Matt Bentley is CEO of Sedo.com, the world's largest marketplace for buying and selling domain names and websites, and one of the leading providers of monetized domain-parking services. Bentley brought his experience in Silicon Valley startups to Europe (and Sedo) in 2002. As Director of English Operations for Sedo.com's parent company Sedo GmbH, he was charged with developing Sedo's fledgling English-language presence in the US, UK and abroad. In 2004, Bentley returned to the United States to launch Sedo.com, LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of Sedo GmbH. Under his leadership Sedo.com, LLC has been profitable since its first quarter of operations, and Sedo's US-derived revenue has increased five-fold. In addition to leading Sedo.com, Bentley has brokered some of the highest value sales in the domain industry, served as an expert witness in the area of domain valuation, and been quoted on domain topics in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, CNET and elsewhere. The topic of domain name squatting has begun to garner serious attention, driven by the recent news surrounding the selection of a new Pope. Matt Bentley is available for comment on the overall domain name market, domain squatting and the recent attention on papal-centric domain activities.

Stephen Elias edits and writes books for Nolo. He is one of the early members of Nolo, having joined in 1980, and was instrumental in coordinating Nolo's successful 1998 struggle with the Texas Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee over the right of Texas citizens to buy, and Nolo to distribute, self-help law books and software. As an editor, he specializes in patents, cyberlaw, estate planning, trademark, copyright, and bankruptcy issues among others. Elias has also written or co-written many of Nolo's books and software, including Trademark: Legal Care for Your Business & Product Name; Domain Names; and Patent, Copyright and Trademark.

Daryl Grecich, director of marketing and communications, represents the International Trademark Association, an association of trademark owners and professionals dedicated to the support and advancement of trademarks and related intellectual property as elements of fair and effective national and international commerce. He has access to information from thousands of trademark professionals throughout the world.

Steve Henry, attorney at Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C., has broad experience in all aspects of intellectual property, with special expertise in the protection of computer-related inventions (hardware and software) and electronic technology. His practice spans the entire range of prosecution, litigation, licensing and client counseling. He is particularly interested in fostering the growth of technology-based companies, large and small, by developing and executing for them effective intellectual property strategies. Steve was co-counsel to Signature Financial Group and architect of the landmark decision it won from the Federal Circuit in State Street Bank and Trust v. Signature Financial Group. That decision upheld the eligibility of most software-implemented systems for patent protection and opened the door to patents for business methods. Steve is called upon frequently to speak on protecting computer-related inventions, including software, at legal and computer industry conferences. For several years, he was an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School, where he taught patent law. He also has served as an arbitrator in technology-related disputes. Steve is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia and Massachusetts and to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, various federal courts, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

Journalists seeking to interview any of these experts can obtain contact information by visiting http://www.businesswire.com/.

ExpertSource provides academic and industry experts to the media at no charge. Journalists are encouraged to submit queries to ExpertSource when seeking experts on specific subjects. An online registration form is available at the above web address.