Perhaps not content to plague only popular websites, cybersquatters now are said to be hitting the blogosphere and using misspelled blog URLs to steer the unwitting to porn and other alternative sites.
Ask PVRblog.com, whose focus is digital video recording systems like TiVo and Replay. Users who misspell that blog's URL are delivered to a porn site. Misspell blogger.com, the kings of the blogosphere, and you’ll arrive at sites with keyword link ads.
"It seems like a natural progression and maybe an indicator that blogs really are capturing some sizeable audiences," PVRblog.com creator Matt Haughey said in a posting at CNET.com's blog section.
Haughey did not return a query for comment from AVNOnline.com. However, his comments at CNET also noted that another reason cybersquatters are targeting blogs these days might have something to do with the high-powered attorneys who defend the rights of their usual high-profile targets (like Google, Yahoo!, and numerous celebrities). In most cases, bloggers aren’t able to afford that kind of protection.
"People aren't naturally gravitating towards just a few major sites anymore, and besides, those few major sites have prominent legal teams," Haughey said. "So you go to the blogs, small operators with millions of visitors, and try to collect the mistakes and turn them into cash somehow."
