Giving Ten Models Cybersquatted Domains: On Line Creations

MacAndBumble.com's parent company, On Line Creations, is trying to make an early Christmas for ten models: transferring to the models themselves, at no cost, domain names in their names which On Line acquired from cybersquatters.

On Line chief executive officer Torrey Roberts told AVN.com they have been able to contact three of the models and are now working on transferring the formerly cybersquatted domains to these models. 

The ten domains involved in the original cybersquats were AnnaRoseChang.com, StacySanches.com, NeriahDavis.com, ZoeGregory.com, CathiOMalley.com, DanielaGil.com, KellyMonaco.com, SuziSimpson.com, BarbaraMoore.com, and AmyMiller.com. So far, On Line has only been able to make contact with Simpson, Moore, and Davis.

Most of the cybersquatters were registered in the Philippines or in Russia. "To be quite honest, I really don't believe they are actually in the Phillippines or Russia," he said. "I think the owners are in the States ands setting offshore domiciles to avoid legal issues."

On Line paid over $20,000 to retrieve the domains from the cybersquatters, whom Roberts said actually approached his company with the domains. Not that the cybersquatters were being altruistic about it, by any means. "A lot of models tried to buy the domains back, or threatened to get them back, from the individuals who owned them," he said. "And they kind of wanted to make some money, so we offered the right money and they accepted."

Roberts said he had acquired the domain names "over the last year or two," with On Line's original plan having been to partner with the models in turning MacandBumble.com into a megasite featuring these and other well-known models.

But the company's focus shifted to concentrating on finding fresh faces rather than working the better-known models. "And I'd had offers up to $50,000 for those domains," Roberts said. "But we're electing to give them back to the models. We thought it would be a good gesture to do that, and I think they'll appreciate them."

He said most of the domains originally pointed to very hardcore Websites which the models themselves did not normally perform. "These models are more Playmate types," Roberts said. "They don't really do that type of posing."