Short Take: Court rules in PETA online parody case

By The Associated Press
Staff Writer, CNET News

A federal judge has ordered Michael Doughney, owner of People Eating Tasty Animals, to relinquish the Web address to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). From September 1995 to January 1996, Doughney used "www.peta.org" as the home page of his fictitious group. PETA accused Doughney of trademark infringement and cybersquatting. Doughney's attorney, G. Gervaise Davis, said he plans to appeal. He said Doughney was parodying PETA, which is protected speech under the First Amendment. The URL currently is not in use.

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