An update to the ongoing saga over BME.com.
BMEzine has filed a response to Gregory Ricks’ lawsuit over the domain name BME.com. Here’s a quick history:
-In August, Gregory Ricks lost the domain name BME.com in a WIPO decision under UDRP. Although it is a generic three character domain name, he had a picture and ads related to tattoos and body modification. There is a popular web site called BMEzine.com about tattoos, body modification, etc. that filed the UDRP action.
-In September, Ricks filed a lawsuit to block the transfer of BME.com to BMEzine.com. You have ten days after a UDRP decision to file such a lawsuit and block the transfer of the domain. Ricks turned the table on BMEzine and claimed that BMEzine was infringing on his brand.
Last week BMEzine filed its response and counterclaims to Ricks’ lawsuit. You can see the response here (pdf). BMEzine has summarized its response and the saga on its blog, but here’s a snapshot of some of its claims:
-BMEzine alleges that it agreed to purchase BME.com from Ricks prior to filing the UDRP, but then Ricks backed out and raised the price twice.
-BMEzine alleges that Gee Whiz Domains, a privacy service that was visible as the whois for BME.com, is the alter ego of Ricks. (The whois currently shows Gregory Ricks’ actual contact information.) The response lists trademark typo domain names that BMEzine believes are owned by Ricks through Gee Whiz Domains, including yahooemai.com, msnnb.com, officedepo.com and cnnmmoney.com.
Of course, the domain name BME.com by itself doesn’t infringe any trademarks. It was Ricks’ use of the domain to show ads for body piercing, tattoos, etc. that landed him in hot water. Odds are Ricks had never heard of BMEzine when he registered the domain; it was just another three letter domain acquisition. It’s possible, although I’m unsure, that he never optimized the domain himself and it was done automatically. The domain currently goes to a generic TrafficZ parked page, so it no longer infringes in my opinion. But “no longer” doesn’t matter; the lawsuit is about the period of time that the domain allegedly infringed on the BME brand.
[Please note: your comments are welcome, but any comment containing profanity will be deleted.]
RegFeeNames.com says
Lets hope they get to keep.
Regards,
Robbie
Founder
RegFeeNames.com
Gerald Phrod says
This lawsuit should be particularly funny to informed observers, as Rachel Larratt is not the original owner of the BME websites, and stole them herself from the original owner (her ex husband) through legal abuse and deception. The documents included in the linked post definitively label the property as being owned by “Shannon Larratt” (the ex husband and creator of the site in 1994, when she was only 13, who now has no involvement with the site). These are documents that she attempted to suppress when she was first claiming ownership of the site. Ironic that she clings to them now.
Greg Ricks would be doing himself a favor if he got his hands on their divorce paperwork.
What goes around comes around.
Joe says
Gerald,
Your claims are laughable at best. No where have Rachel ever claimed that she started BME. Shannon Larratt claimed she said that but she never did and never would. As someone who actually has copies of the divorce paperwork, nothing in there says anything to the contrary. You should more like some uninformed drama hound.
I guess Shannon being “retired at 35” and doing nothing but painting does nothing to indicate how much he was paid out from their divorce. The guy is set for life. All you have to do is ask him as he’s a huge blabbermouth and will respond to anyone who sends him an inquiring email.
It doesn’t matter who owns the real BME now, that’s like saying that McDonald’s loses it’s trademark/copyright rights because it doesn’t have the original owner. Go back to the watercooler and get some updated gossip.
HA! says
Rachel could not legally claim she began BMEzine.com although she did claim to own 100% of it at the time of seizing it which was proven false.
What Rachel Larratt DID claim however, was that BMEzine.com was NOTHING prior to Shannon and her marriage in 2002. Also proven wrong on numerous occasions.
I too hope this Lawsuit obtained by Mr.Gregory Ricks sucks her dry of any and all financial gain she’s received through her scam of a marriage. It’s not like she’s never put other companies under before or blew over a million in the course of a year.
Her frequent lies and deception in matters of her own health, child’s well being, ownership of her ex-husbands company, employment record, friendships etc.. should leave Ricks with pretty well established grounds.
Eye for an eye.
Curious says
http://www.BME.com now forwards to http://www.BMEzine.com.
Does that mean that Greg Ricks lost the trial?
Or did they settle?
Andrew Allemann says
@ Curious – according to the court filings the case is still going on and is in discovery.
chandan says
but the who is changed it seems now ?