Sex.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sex.com | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 Sex.com home page, May 2008 |
|
| URL | http://www.sex.com |
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of site | Social Network Service |
| Registration | No |
| Owner | Escom, LLC |
| Created by | Sex.com Team |
| Launched | 1994 |
| Revenue | Private |
| Current status | Active |
The Internet domain name sex.com is a web portal owned by Escom LLC. It was the focus of one of the most publicized legal actions about ownership of domain names. A 2007 book covering the case, called Sex.com, was written by Kieren McCarthy, a journalist who followed the case.
[edit] History
In 1994, entrepreneur Gary Kremen (now the CEO of Grant Media, LLC) registered sex.com with Network Solutions (NSI). He did not develop a site. In October 1995, NSI transferred the domain to Stephen M. Cohen, who had been trying to gain control of the domain for some time by misrepresentation, using phone calls, e-mails and forged letters.[1] He eventually persuaded an employee of NSI to change the ownership details by submitting a fake fax. After gaining control of the domain, Cohen produced an advertising-heavy site that received up to 25 million hits a day. From payments for click-throughs and other advertising, Cohen was reportedly making $50,000 to $500,000 per month. Kremen undertook steps to recover the domain, while Cohen claimed he obtained the domain legally from Online Classifieds (OCI). A five-year legal battle ensued, led by cyberlawyer Charles Carreon.[2]
Kremen was victorious in November 2000, when Network Solutions was ordered to return the domain to the plaintiff. According to the record of Kremen v. Cohen[3], Cohen was ordered to pay $25 million into court; in April 2001, the California District Court awarded Kremen an additional $40 million for lost earnings, for a total judgment of $65 million.
Cohen appealed the judgment and refused to allow assessment of his business: He provided false information and declared most of his companies bankrupt while illegally moving assets out of US jurisdiction. When an arrest warrant was issued, Cohen fled to Mexico. Kremen offered a $50,000 reward for information[4], but Cohen remained at large while continuing to file appeals that were rejected. In October 2005, Cohen was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico for immigration violations, and was handed over to US authorities.[5]
Cohen was released from custody on December 5, 2006, when Judge Ware determined that "the Court is satisfied that Cohen has provided an accounting of assets to the extent that he is able from jail." Cohen currently is representing himself and provided the Court with an address in Mazatlan, Mexico.
As of December 21, 2007, 1,350 documents have been filed in the case.
[edit] References
- ^ Blue, Violet. Sex.com: A URL - All Crime And No Sex SF Gate, 2006-12-21. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
- ^ McCarthy, Kieren (2007). Sex.com: One Domain, Two Men, Twelve Years and the Brutal Battle for the Jewel in the Internet’s Crown. Quercus. ISBN-13: 978-1905204663
- ^ 99 F. Supp. 2d 1168 (N.D. Cal. 200), aff’d, 2002 WL 2017073 (9th Cir. Aug. 30, 2002).
- ^ $50,000 Reward For Arrest Of Man Who Stole Sex.Com, Tax-News.com, New York
- ^ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/28/sexdotcom_cohen_arrested/
[edit] External links
- Sex.com: (Commercial website). The website that is the subject of this article. WARNING: Contains adult information not suitable for minors.
- Sexdotcom.info: (Commercial website). Promotional website for the book Sex.com, which covers the legal dispute over sex.com.
- CharlesCarreon.com (Commercial website). The website of cyberlawyer Charles Carreon.
- Sexdotcom.info: Articles (Commercial website). Extensive list of articles on the legal dispute over sex.com.
