Spanish CyberSquatter holding Government Domain Names Ransom
After his re-election last month, Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero announced the creation of four new Spanish ministries but his authorities failed to register their internet addresses before they were bought by someone else.
An unnamed cybersquatter from Alicante, south-east Spain, has said he will only return the four domain names, which follow the same format as all government ministries, if his demands are met...
He is calling for Mr Zapatero to introduce a nationwide system of transferring water from the River Ebro, which runs from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean, to all of those regions in Spain that suffer water shortages.
Earlier this month a deal was struck to exclusively supply drought-stricken Barcelona with water from the river, a move that angered other regions who said it gave special concessions to Catalonia.
In a blog posted on the website meant for the newly created ministry of equality, the protestor writes: "Four years ago we had a great National Hydrological plan which would bring water to all the autonomous regions, the construction of which would be financed by entirely with EU funding.
"Zapatero cancelled that plan and now has agreed a project exclusively for Catalonia. Now all Spaniards must pay the bill to guarantee the Catalans have water."
He promises to return the domain name to the Ministry of Equality only after the government corrects "inequalities” in water supply.
A government spokesman said that the four ministries are taking action to retrieve the domain names and in the meantime would set up alternative websites.
We all know how this story will end... we will see those names in one of our upcoming WIPO reports with word "Transfer" as the decision!
Source: Via Telegraph.co.uk - written by By Fiona Govan