Glenn Beck loses 'raped and murdered' arbitration

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Glenn Beck loses 'raped and murdered' arbitration

Mon Nov 09, 2009 @ 11:04AM PST

By Eriq Gardner

Fox News' Glenn Beck has lost a claim that a website called glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com was registered in bad faith and in violation of his trademark rights.

Glenn_beckThe website was founded by Isaac Eiland-Hall earlier this year in response to a joke on odd-news site Fark about Beck's lack of denial for a non-existent murder/rape. Eiland-Hall argued to WIPO that he registered the website as a satirical critique of Beck's conspiratorial politics.

WIPO's arbitration panel agreed that the website appeared "to be engaged in a parody of the style or methodology that (Eiland-Hall) appears genuinely to believe is employed by (Beck) in the provision of political commentary, and for that reason (Eiland-Hall) can be said to be making a political statement."

The domain name dispute resolution body added Eiland-Hall's speech was "strongly protected" under the First Amendment. Here's the decision.

Having won the case, Eiland-Hall rejoiced by giving the website domain to Beck with a thumb-in-the-nose letter:

"It bears observing that by bringing the WIPO complaint, you took what was merely one small critique meme, in a seas of internet memes, and turned it into a super-meme. Then, in pressing forward (by not withdrawing the complaint and instead filing additional briefs), you turned the super-meme into an object lesson in First Amendment principles...

Rather than choosing to strive for excellence and civic contribution, you simply pander the fears and insecurities of your audience. And in the process, you do them, and us all, a great deal of harm.

Shame on you Mr. Beck..."

The website, glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com, is now down.

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The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter, Esq. blog focuses on how the entertainment and media industries are impacted and influenced by the law. It is edited by Matthew Belloni with contributions from veteran legal reporter Eriq Gardner and others. Before joining The Hollywood Reporter, Belloni was a lawyer at an entertainment litigation firm in Los Angeles. He writes a column for THR devoted to entertainment law. Gardner is a New York-based writer and legal journalist. Send tips or comments to [email protected]

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