Freeman scores cybersquat knockout
Freeman, 67, complained that the name--registered by the company Mighty LLC--was being used to divert Internet traffic to a commercial search engine, according to the BBC News and other sources.
On Tuesday, independent arbitrator Peter Nitter backed the actor, ruling that Mighty LLC, in a "bad faith" move, misused Freeman's trademark to lure surfers to its website.
The ruling was announced by the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, a U.N. agency that promotes the protection of trademarks and patents.
Freeman, whose illustrious career spans four decades, joins the ranks of entertainers including Julia Roberts, Spike Lee, Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Eminem who have kicked cybersquatters off their namesake domains under WIPO procedure.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie.
