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The Million Word Site Resolves the Cybersquatting Issue
By allowing users to purchase the right to celebrity names and trademarks so long as they are used to link to related content, The Million Word Site allows for the ultimate in freedom of expression while preventing cybersquatting.
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March 21, 2007 (FPRC) --
The Million Word Site is becoming a veritable microcosm of the Internet itself, as its growing legion of Word Masters (members) uses its many features for everything from promotion of freelance services to religious instruction to sales of jewelry and travel services.
Since the Million Word Site works by having members purchase words which in turn are exclusive to them, site owner and webmaster Itzhak Schier (ZiQui Million) has been following the debate regarding cybersquatting quite intensely.
While he originally restricted the purchase of trademarks and celebrity names to their rightful owners, he realized that there are many legitimate reasons that private citizens and corporations alike would want to build a site linked to a trademark. Since his aim is to use his microcosm of the Net to improve the general state of the Web rather than to just copy the existing parameters of the Internet into a new site, he decided to compromise and allow for the purchase of 1000 trademarks and 1000 celebrity names from now until May 31st, 2007, at a price of 12.95 each. In addition, the Million Word Site rules stipulate that the trademarks or names must be linked to an outside site or to a proprietary (included in the package) Word Master mini-site within 15 days of purchase. This allows freedom of expression as no links will be censored and no sites will be edited, but it prevents speculatory purchase of these valuable words on this growing site.
So, just to name a few examples, a lucky person who wants to write about his or her opinion of Wal-Mart or Microsoft, or a fortunate E-bayer who wants to draw a huge amount of traffic to her vintage record auctions, can get hold of the names Wal-Mart, Microsoft and Ebay on the Million Word Site, so long as they act fast enough. Fans or detractors of Beyonce, Britney Spears, or Justin Timberlake can build an online paean or a satirical site about their favorite celebrity idol or nemesis. And sports fans can build sites supporting their favorite team or athlete – or have fun bashing perennial losers!
As The Million Word Site rises in the ratings, people just may see personal pages or links from The Million Word Site the moment they search for a trademark or celebrity. Besides, when people come to surf the site as they do more and more frequently, they will be very tempted to click on the trademark and celebrity name links to see what people have to say.
When Schier was asked how he would react if someone bought the name of his own beloved rabbi, the late and somewhat controversial Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson in order to criticize or even mock the rabbi and his community, he responded: “I believe in and am here to promote full freedom of speech on the Internet, so long as no one is out there promoting or planning terrorist or criminal activity. But if someone really wants to use my site to criticize someone who has done as much for the world as the Rebbe has, it won’t be a problem because the site will soon have a comments feature, and I can predict that there will be a flood of comments which will drown out the original negativity or at least spark debate in which the good will win out.
Send an email to Itzhak Schier of The Million Word Site
718 530 3963
Keywords:
cybersquatting, Ebay, Menachem Mendel Schneerson
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