http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-11-12/the-man-who-beat-glenn-beck
Glenn Beck lost a lawsuit his lawyers filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) against a Florida man. The man created and owned the domain name glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com, a satirical site supposedly dedicated to investigating the “vicious lie” that is its name. Its real purpose, its owner said, was to combat the controversial TV host’s misleading and unfair mudslinging tactics. The man says in the article that he especially enjoyed the irony of Beck, who frequently rants about international conspiracy threatening the US Constitution, using an international organization to wage a legal battle against a First Amendment freedom-of-speech argument.
While this doesn’t strike me as a particularly significant victory, it is a satisfying one. I agree with the owner that Beck’s position is drenched with hypocrisy. As such a defender of the Constitution as he presents himself to be, Beck should be able to see past his personal feelings and accept the free speech argument.
While the case wasn’t decided in a US court, it does hold a lot of meaning. Even with my basic and limited knowledge of media law in this country, Beck’s claim that the domain could be perceived as being owned by him sounds like it wouldn’t hold up here either. I also admired the Florida man’s decision to give the domain to Beck once he won the case. It lends the argument a certain credibility – makes the statement the focus rather than the domain itself - and somehow makes the victory a little sweeter. Glenn Beck is an ass.
