Slipknot Drops Lawsuit Against Slipknot.com Domain Squatter After Lengthy Battle

Last October, Slipknot initiated legal action against Slipknot.com and its anonymous owner, who was listed as "Redacted for Privacy" by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

The band alleged that the website had been profiting off their name for almost 24 years through cybersquatting. Evidence presented included pay-per-click landing pages featuring ads for "concert tickets," "Slipknot merchandise," and "concert VIP packages." The suit also claimed the site was involved in selling counterfeit merchandise.

Slipknot's suit was filed in rem (targeting the domain itself) and in personam (against the registrants) for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and common law trademark infringement and unfair competition. While domain owners often default in in rem cases, Slipknot Online Services, Ltd., the domain's owner, hired lawyers to contest the suit.

Slipknot Online Services argued for dismissal based on the band's delayed service of the lawsuit. The following day, Slipknot filed a voluntary dismissal notice without prejudice, meaning they retain the option to relitigate the case in the future.

The reasons behind Slipknot's pursuit of this matter after so many years remain unclear. Intriguingly, the domain registrants may not have initially intended to impersonate the band. "Slipknot" is a dictionary word, and SlipKnot was also a web browser in the mid-90s. The lawsuit was brought under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act of 1999.

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