Home > News > Web / Tech News > Porn 'Typosquatter' Gets $164K Fine • Bookmark   • Newsletters   • Register Search Options

NEWS STORY

Porn 'Typosquatter' Gets $164K Fine

Porn 'Typosquatter' Gets $164K Fine
Get XBIZ News
XBIZ Research
Should governments have the power / ability to stop content piracy? (e.g. SOPA / PROTECT IP)
Yes
  45.22%
No
  45.22%
Undecided
  9.57%
Out of 230 votes. Results based on votes submitted by members of XBIZ.net social network.
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007    Text size: 
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission has fined a "typosquatter" who served adult advertisements on misspelled domains such as BobtheBiulder.com and Teltubbies.com a second time — this time for advertising mainstream products instead of adult.

John Zuccarini has agreed to give up $164,000 in revenue from typosquatting, registering domains that are misspellings of legitimate brands, he is alleged to have received, the FTC said Tuesday.

In 2002, a federal court barred Zuccarini from typosquatting, but he ignored the order, according to Carolyn Hann, a staff attorney with the FTC.

"He was engaging in practices that violated certain provisions of the order," Hann said.

After his 2002 settlement, Zuccarini pled guilty in 2003 to typosquatting and child pornography charges brought by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. After being released from prison in late 2005, Hann said, he resumed the domain name registration scam. This time, however, his hundreds of websites advertised mainstream products through affiliate marketing programs.

Although Zuccarini forfeited $164,000 in his recent settlement, in the 2003 criminal complaint the U.S. Justice Department said that he had been making as much as $1 million per year from his adult-oriented activities.

In agreeing to the recent settlement, Zuccarini admitted to no wrongdoing, the FTC said.

Typosquatting has been illegal in the U.S. for about 10 years, but the government has been largely unable to crack down on the practice because typosquatters often operate outside of U.S. jurisdiction, according to Frederick Felman, chief marketing officer with MarkMonitor Inc., an Internet brand monitoring service.

"I'm actually surprised that they caught him," Felman said of Zuccarini. "Most of the savvy guys have elaborate shell games in front of what they're doing. He must not be a very smart criminal."

More ways to get XBIZ News:  RSS Feeds  |  E-Newsletters  |  Desktop Widget  |  Mobile
Looking for porn star news and behind-the-scene videos? Check out XFANZ.com !

QUICKBITE FEATURES

Venus Intimate: Refreshed Focus

The European trade show market has been split in two in a move similar to that which toy manufacturers, retailers and buyers already have experienced in the U.S. With the longrunning VENUS show taking... More »

An Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Google recently released its highly anticipated and extensively revamped Android 4.0 mobile operating system (OS), codenamed “Ice Cream Sandwich,” much to the delight of users of phones, tablets... More »

Seasonal Success

The adult retail industry has embarked on its lengthy holiday season — starting with Halloween and extending to Valentine’s Day. XBIZ spoke with Camilla Lombard, events and publicity manager... More »
XBIZ NEWSLETTERS
Stay informed of the latest industry developments. Get XBIZ newsletters delivered to your inbox. Subscribe today!
Enter email address:

* To manage existing subscriptions click here.






POPULAR PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Submit your press release to
multiple news outlets with 1 click.
Subscribe to RSS news feeds or
add free content to your website.
Access XBIZ news and articles
with your mobile device.
XBIZ World™, the industry's leading technology journal, provides in-depth coverage of company news, market trends, growth sectors, and international news in the online, mobile and ancillary sectors - get it today!

UPCOMING EVENTS

XBIZ London Gathering

Feb 23 - Feb 23
Truckles Wine Bar in Holborn

Adult Entertainment Virtual Convention

Feb 24 - Feb 26
World Wide Web

The European Summit

Mar 05 - Mar 08
Barcelona, Spain

International Lingerie Show

Mar 26 - Mar 28
Las Vegas, Nevada
Everyday thousands of business professionals browse XBIZ's industry directory for quality products and services. Not listed yet? Your company could be losing potential new business. Submit your company today!
Use XBIZ RSS feeds to stay informed of the latest industry developments or as a content syndication tool for your website!