Spike Lee Wins Cybersquatting Case

GENEVA – Arbitrators have handed acclaimed movie director Spike Lee a victory in his battle against Mercedita Kyamko, a cybersquatter based in the Philippines, who was using Lee's name in a domain that redirects unsuspecting surfers to an adult web site.

The director of 25 films, Lee filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) against Kyamko after the domain name "spikelee.com" was registered in 1999.

WIPO named Canadian attorney Edward Chiasson as the neutral arbitrator charged with ruling on the dispute over the domain name, and Chiasson indeed found that the redirection of the URL to an adult site was evidence of a "bad faith" registration.

As a result of the ruling, within 10 days the domain will be transferred automatically to Lee, unless a court challenge disputing WIPO's action is brought by Kyamko.

At the time of this writing, www.spikelee.com was still being redirected to www.clubhongkong.com.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Publishes Guidance on New UK Pornography Laws

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published information for its members on the United Kingdom's recently passed pornography laws, which take effect next week.

Brazil Issues Guide to Digital Safety Compliance

Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) published on Wednesday a new guide outlining online providers’ child-protection responsibilities under the Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents (Digital ECA), which requires adult websites to age-verify users located in Brazil.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for August, September

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters, by country, for August and September.

2027 XBIZ Exec Awards Nominees Announced for Adult Entertainment Edition

XBIZ is pleased to announce the nominees for the adult entertainment industry edition of the 2027 XBIZ Exec Awards, set to be presented as part of the annual XBIZ Honors ceremony on Friday, Jan. 8, in conjunction with the XBIZ 2027 event series.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Effective Parenting' Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers with children.

XMA Nominations Party Set for Nov. 17 at Avalon Hollywood

A night that sets the stage for the flagship XMAs, this year’s nominations reveal party will take place at Avalon Hollywood on Tuesday, Nov. 17, with red-carpet arrivals starting at 8 p.m.

BrattyGirls.com Launches Through PAYSITE

Producer Robert Peru has launched his newest membership site, BrattyGirls, through PAYSITE.

Arcom Issues Warnings to 3 Adult Sites Over Age Verification

French media regulator Arcom has issued formal notices to the operators of three adult websites that the agency says have failed to implement age verification as required under French law.

AEBN Reveals Ariel Demure as Top Trans Star for Q3 of 2026

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the third quarter of 2026, with Ariel Demure landing atop the leaderboard.

Porn Piracy: How AI Is Transforming Content Theft and Protection

Gone are the days when the word “pirate” primarily conjured images of clever scoundrels like Captain Jack Sparrow, swaggering across the high seas in search of gold and jewels. Today’s most prolific pirates operate in the darkest corners of the internet, armed with bots, scrapers and generative AI.

Show More