Nine domain names seized by the U.S. Marshal's office to satisfy outstanding judgments awarded to Titan Media for copyright infringement and unauthorized commercial use of photographs, go on the auction block today.
The following domain names will be sold at auction: Rainbow-Zone.com, Planet-Fetish.com, Planet-Bears.com, Planet-GaySex.com, Planet-Muscle.com, Planet-Uniform.com, Planet-Bblack.com, Gay-Bareback.net, Dirty-Worlds.com, and any other domain name in which Metropole News Group, Easy Planet, or Rainbow Zone have rights or possessory interests.
The judgment stems from a lawsuit brought in 2004 by Io Group which charged that Rainbow-Zone.com "reproduced, distributed, and publicly displayed more than 764 copyrighted photos" belonging to Titan Media.
According to Titan Media General Counsel Gill Sperlein, Rainbow-zone.com was made up almost entirely of illegally obtained content. "The owners attempted to hide by using a series of Delaware limited liability companies," he said. "The only way we were ultimately able to stop the infringement and obtain compensation was by seizing their domain names.
The auction will be held electronically by and through Afternic.com.
No convicted felons and no one related to judgment debtors Metropole News Group, LLC, Easy Planet, LLC, or Rainbow Zone, LLC, will be allowed to purchase the domain names.
Each successful bidder must submit proof of identification and must participate in a short telephone interview with the U.S. Marshal before the sale is finalized.
