Slipknot have filed a lawsuit in the United States to try seize control of the slipknot.com domain name which has been in the hands of an anonymous owner for more than 20 years.
The metal giants have been using the domain name slipknot1.com since the anonymous user registered the preferred slipknot.com in 2001, six years after the band formed and two years after the release of their seismic, self-titled debut album.
Now it seems that the band and their lawyers have had enough and want control of what they presumably believe is rightfully theirs.
DNW reports that the lawsuit, filed in the United Stated District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Alexandria Division on October 15, lays out the band's argument that the unknown people or person who owns the domain has used it to profit from the band's name.
The suit alleges that the domain has displayed pay-per-click advertising links for "concert tickets", "Slipknot merchandise", and "concert vip packages".
It also claims that one of the display ads linked to counterfeit merchandise.
The lawsuit reads: "The domain name was registered in an effort to profit off of plaintiff’s goodwill and to trick unsuspecting visitors – under the impression they are visiting a website owned, operated or affiliated with plaintiff – into clicking on web searches and other sponsored links.
"A fan of plaintiff or someone who otherwise wanted to purchase authorized Slipknot merchandise would undoubtedly visit the slipknot.com website assuming it belonged to plaintiff and then purchase the Slipknot merchandise linked to on the site, causing damages to plaintiff.
"The name of the registrant of the Slipknot.com domain is not identified in WHOIS or ICANN records, but these records list a post office box address for registrant in the Cayman Islands. Elsewhere in these records, 'technical' and 'administrative' contact information is given.
"Here, an organization named 'Slipknot Online Services, Ltd' is listed along with the same address in the Cayman Islands. A search for this organization name however shows that it is not registered in any state in the United States."
Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, it was not uncommon for people – known as cyber squatters – to purchase domain names that would be desirable to big name businesses and brands and hope for them to make a big offer to buy it from them.
It is unclear whether any offer has ever been made by the band, but this court action suggests they are now focused on getting control of the domain.
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