Ron Paul asks UN to strip RonPaul.com domain ownership away from supporters

[Chippiewill]

Ron Paul wants ownership of his namesake domain, and he's not willing to pay for the privilege. Instead, the former Congressman and presidential candidate has forged a complaint with the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization asking the agency to grant him ownership of both RonPaul.com and RonPaul.org. "Ron Paul's name and his associated Ron Paul mark have become synonymous with the Complainant and his books, articles, public appearances, and political commentary," reads the complaint. "Ron Paul has no relationship with the Respondents and has not authorized the Respondents to use the Ron Paul name."

Currently both URLs are owned by Paul supporters; RonPaul.com has gained over 100,000 Likes on Facebook since it launched in 2008. The site's operators have offered to give RonPaul.org to the former politician at no cost, but are asking Paul to lay down $250,000 for the more popular .com domain. That price tag would bring with it a mailing list of 170,000 members, according to the site. Considering Paul has bowed out of Washington, however, it's unclear what value such an email list would offer over his existing contact database(s). "We are getting our mailing list appraised right now but we are confident it is easily worth more than $250k all by itself," the site's owners say. "Claims that we tried to sell Ron Paul “his name” for $250k or even $800k are completely untrue."
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/11/3976114/ron-paul-asks-un-to-strip-ronpaul-com-domain-from-supporters

Libertarian?

[GommeInc]

It's a bit naughty to try and sell him the domain for $250,000, giving him the mailing list. I'm fairly certain that goes against a few data protection laws, even if it is going straight to the man itself. It is profiteering off his name, and trying to profit from him actually giving the money.

[-:Undertaker:-]

If the claims are untrue that the website demanded $800,000 for the domain then that'll come clear when it's judged by a panel. I have actually been tracking this story for a few weeks now, and I heard of the $800,000 claim way before this story broke and the website issued a rebuttal - that to me seems like there is some justification behind the claim, especially as the website tried to offer RonPaul.org as a bargaining chip. As for Paul going to a UN body - if it's true then i'm disappointed for one, as I don't think it's in his nature to do something like that. We'll have to wait and see anyway.

But libertarian? of course. A man who wants to withdraw US forces from meddling around the world/stop Obama's drone bombings, a man who wants to protect civil liberties, a man who wants to slash taxation and state spending, a man who backs a gold standard currency, a man whose voting record is 100% perfect in line with what he says and then does. To question whether he's libertarian over some unexplained legal wrangling seems rather childish in my eyes.

You know, even if it is as it's being portrayed at the moment - i'll be disappointed, but he remains a modern day Founding Father by a hundred miles.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?404200-VIDEO-Ron-Paul-files-suit-for-RonPaul-com-%28Fox-News%29/page2


I put extensive comments on this on the other thread. We don't know what happened and do know the site owner is trying to stir up public opinion against Ron for 'going to the UN' when the tribunal is specified in the site owner's own agreement with the domain, which also specifies the rules that allowed the site owner to snap up Ron's sites over the years and also specifies the basis for this claim.

Having said that, I am surprised at this action, but not knowing why Ron did it, I am giving him every benefit of the doubt until I find out the facts.

In the meantime I think the site owner who has this site on whosis to sell to anyone including Ron's enemies right now, from what I can tell, should suggest a fair mechanism for neutral valuation of the site. Ron has an estimate saying it is worth $50,000. If that isn't correct, suggest another method.

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/132275.html

Lew Rockwell has cleared up the lega/libertarian positions on this.


'RonPaul'.com
Posted by Lew Rockwell on February 13, 2013 08:31 AM

There is so much disinformation on this issue that I will probably have to post more than once, but here are a few points:

--Ron is not using the State to acquire RonPaul.com. He could have brought a lawsuit in US government courts, but he did not. He is seeking to have ICANN enforce its own rules against cybersquatting, including the rule against registering a famous person’s name and making money off it. Anyone registering a URL agrees to keep all the rules, just as he must pay a recurring fee. A URL is not private property in the normal sense. It is a license, and ICANN is a private, non-profit organization.

--Ron is not calling on the UN. ICANN has four approved arbitration organizations. Because the RP.com guys registered Ron's name in Australia, the international arbitration option must be used. Yes, it is associated with the UN. Too bad, but one must play the cards one is dealt. The UN itself is not involved, though note—whatever else is wrong with it—the UN is not a State.

--Why did Ron wait so long to bring this claim? He did not feel he could do so as a public official. Once he became a private citizen again, he was freed.

--This fight is not about so-called intellectual property, since it involves private agreements. But if it were, must one agree with Murray Rothbard--who discussed IP more than 50 years ago--to be a libertarian? I agree with Murray, but IP is hardly a make or break issue. Certainly Murray did not see it as such. In the same sense, one need not be an anarcho-capitalist to be a libertarian, though, like Murray, I am one. One can be a constitutionalist or otherwise believe in limited government. Oh, and need I note that Murray loved and admired Ron?

--Is Ron "attacking his own supporters" by his action? Apparently, the RP.com people have never given a dime to any of his campaigns nor educational efforts. Instead, they are attacking Ron. Some supporters. But it will not work. And it will soon be over, freeing Ron from this distraction as he steps up his fight for freedom. Really steps it up, in historic ways.

Still unsure on the ownership part (IP) myself being a private domain, but at least it wraps up the UN issue.