Pope Benedict in .XXX pro-Islam cyber-squat drama
Intent on promoting Islam, a Turkish cybersquatter has been reported to have registered at least
12 different varieties of Pope Benedict's name as .xxx internet domains. One of the websites has
been registered as PopeBenedict.xxx
The aforementioned websites have been said to display the words "Everyone will find Islam" and
also includes photographs of the Kaaba and Quran. Strangely enough, the website also states that the
domain is for sale.
Based on the records found on the Whois website, the PopeBenedict.xxx domain has been registered
under a Turkish entity going by the name Bulent Ozcan. The records also reveal that the domains
josephratzinger.xxx, holyfather.xxx, benedictusxvi.xxx, pontifico.xxx, xvibenedictus.com,
xvibenedictus.xxx, benedictxvi.xxx, ratzinger.xxx, josephaloisusratzinger.xxx, benedictus.xxx, and
josephaloisiusratzinger.com have also been squatted by the said entity.
Although many prominent personalities such as the pope have already been targeted by
cybersquatting, the level of effort placed by the individual into this illegal activity is quite
overwhelming. Recently, Sir Richard Branson have successfully recovered his domain from a
cybersquatter linking his name to the pornographic .xxx domain.
As for the Vatican, their best course of action to put an end to this malicious act is by filing
a Rapid Evaluation Service complaint with the National Arbitration Forum. This is the body that has
been appointed by the .xxx manager ICM registry to handle cases such as this.
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