Playboy Feuding Over .London Domain

LONDON — Playboy is feuding with a U.K. real estate developer over Playboy.london.

According to reports, Michael Ross, who is the director of London-based realty firm CNM Estates, grabbed the gTLD when the .london domain came available in 2013.

But now Playboy lawyers fired off a letter to Ross claiming it infringes on its trademark and are threatening legal action if he doesn’t hand over the domain to the iconic brand.

But the deadline to surrender the domain has passed and the land mogul is ready for a fight. He said he is a “London-based playboy with every right to use the domain.”

"It is a bloody arrogant approach to make. They say that I am 'diluting the value of their brand.’ That is personally insulting — I am improving it," Ross said.

He added, "Playboy is a word in the dictionary. If it was protected I would not have been able to register it. I am not going to go off and pretend I am Hugh Hefner or own the Playboy Club. I just like the sound of it and was amazed when I got it allocated to me. I thought anything that was properly corporately branded would be protected."

The businessman — who snagged the doman after secuing suffixes for his other properties —  also said he’s hoping to keep the domain for his unborn son. "My wife is pregnant and I am hoping for a boy. If he is anything like I was in 18 years' time I am keeping the domain for him so he can be London's newest playboy."

According to the Evening Standard, more than 48,000 businesses, brands, charities, sport teams and other bodies have already signed up to register the .london domain.

And Alex Kinchin-Smith, director of Dot London, said trademark and rights holders were given a three-month priority period to secure their names earlier this year. He noted that ICANN, the Internet regulatory body, has clear methods of resolving such disputes.

A Playboy spokesman said, “While we will not comment on this specific action, Playboy actively enforces rights to protect its valuable brands.”

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 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

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

Show More