Firm Files Cybersquatting Claim Against Twitter Username

Can a Twitter username be cybersquatting? One insurance firm thinks so.

Here’s an interesting lawsuit I just discovered that attempts to stretch the bounds of the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection act.

Insurance firm Conventry First has filed a federal lawsuit (pdf) against whomever is using the CoventryFirst username on Twitter, i.e. twitter.com/coventryfirst.

But in addition to complaining regarding plain old trademark infringement, the firm has thrown in a charge of cybersquatting for using twitter.com/coventryfirst.

Now, besides the issue that Coventry First is suggesting that having a trademark in a URL directory of your web site can be cybersquatting, it seems to me that in a way they could ensnare Twitter in this battle. Following all, it’s Twitter’s domain name that Conventry is considering to be a violation of the anti-cybersquatting act.

The lawsuit does not demand that the @coventryfirst username be transferred to Conventry First.

Just for kicks, I’m going to make this post’s URL include coventry-first.