They probably didnt register the site with a hyphen because they're following the trend. www.athens2004.com

MadridMan,
This is disgusting! What a farce! I feel terrible for you MM. Do you have any threads going back before their demand date that documents your interest in this domain name. You could claim that they got it from you originally.

Have you tried to use the media to help out with this.
...Ohio man sued by Madrid Olympic Committee...
This might attract the attention of an international attoney that might be interested in making a name in the courts, and perhaps money from these bozos!
It might also help to get this news out in the BLOGS out there.

Keep the faith, MM, we are with you!
Carmen
p.s. The first thing we need to find out is if the lack of a space makes a difference. We need to start searching the web for similar suits and see what has transpired in these. We need access to Lexis-Nexis for this search. I'll se if I can find someone with this tyoe of access, MM and I'll e-mail you.

By the way, MM, Madrid2012 is NOT a private company, as you say in your link AFAIK, itseems to be a public one (at least from the spanish law point of view) since it is created by the Town Council and most probably it has most or all the shares.

Why don't you write Mr. Gallardón? In spite that I hate his Opus-style education and ultra-conservative way of thinking, I think he is one of the few honest politicians in Spain, he is pragmatic, and fair ... to a point. And he is the last power behind Madrid 2012!

If you want I will translate the mail into spanish. I'm quite good at that.

Anyway, when I first posted here about Madrid 2012 and a few days later you anounced you had registered those domains, my first thoughts were that in Spain you would not have any chance of holding them. There have been lots of domains which have been taken from people who had registered them in favor of companies which had a trademark.

I really don't know how it works internationally, but it seems they have been somewhat agressive. Why not trying to reach an agreement instead of courting directly? Don't know...

Fernando

Hola Fernando,

The reason those people are aggressive is because most individuals don't want to be involved in a lawsuit. They are using "scare tactics" taught in TORTS 1001! It's the easy road. Decency does not enter into certain business practices.

Saludos,
Carmen

MM- re using the media- you're right as things can go either way- however, any way they look at it, instead of confronting you and asking you nicely- they want to come in and take something from you that's rightfully yours- the fact that they've been aggressive from the beginning- is not good publicity for them- something to consider. The fact that they lacked the forsight to secure the domains beforehand gives them no right to be nasty about it now that they're scrambling to make up for their mistakes. And negative publicity over something so minor would not favor Madrid in the bid (although I hope they do get it) they're already playing nasty- something that contradicts the Olympic spirit. How do they propose to positively pubicize the Games when they're being so irrational.

Sorry I'm not a lawyer- I'd take your case - but I think I speak for all of us: if you need a petition or anything you can think will help us support you- we will.

As for the publicity reflecting negatively- it could do the opposite- your regular posters certainally recommend your site to other people and something like this would actually peak the curiousity of people who have never posted before: they may actually be doing you a favor!
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

A question to MadridMan-Why is it so important that you retain the rights to the domain names?

I wouldn't stand on principle with an organization that has much deeper pockets than you. It sounds like a fight you can't win. Don't throw good money after bad.

Get them to throw you a bone, like a link on their site!

I stand with the group on principle but I disagree on practicality.

I like your line of reasoning Mongo. At least they could offer MM compensation for the names. You're right about the negative publicity. I'd run with that in the Spanish press and see what happens.

I agree with Mongo. If they're wrong which they probably are they will not admit it. They will just try and screw you and take advantage of the difference in laws and the fact that you're in the U.S. and they're in Spain. Being that RED TAPE seems to be a favorite pastime in Spain I forsee a humongous headache with this thing. I would first get the legal low down. Who's at fault. Then I would confront them and say listen you guys are wrong and I'm not moving on this. You can either push me and create bad publicity for Spain and Spain's bid for the olympics or let's come to a deal. Remember your website and the others affiliated with you are major websites geared toward foreigners! Could you imagine the amount of bad publicity that could be generated?

LOL I have a feeling that they will push and push and make your life hell until the verdict comes in. If Madrid gets it then they will probably act uncharacteristically and take the initiative and GET SOMETHING DONE and settle with you. If Madrid loses the bid you'll probably never hear from them again.

What you should do is register Madrid2016 and so on every 4 years to really give it to em!

My opinions probably seem stupid. I'm no lawyer or anything but maybe the more opinions you'll get you can cover all your bases.

As far as publishing an advert. There is a magazine affiliated somehow with the SPain-US chamber of commerce. You can subscribe to it for free. Maybe you could take an advert in that since I think that mag. is published independently and really has no official tie to the CoC. May be a dead-end but let me know if you're interested in finding out more.

Dear MM:
I am very sorry I can give you nothing more effective, but you have all my simpaty and support.
Now you REALLY know Spain. It`s this way, a state where law is not as mighty as sheer political power.
It is a shame the way they are harassing you, especially when you have done SO MUCH for Madrid and Spain in general. Your work as an ambassador for tourists who seek for information about Spain is simply amazing. Many people wouldn`t bother to work so hard for a salary, and you have been doing it for free for years! They should make you a monument and instead they attack you! If eventually you decide to resist, I think the best thing you can do is telling the whole story to the media. You will arise a lot of simpathy, I think the average citizen will understand how unfair all this matter is, and besides they will all feel flattered by the way you love Spain.
And all this comes just in the middle of the Tamayo affair!! Really Spanish polititians stink. Every passing day I am happier that one day I decided to became an anti-Spanish separatist.
By the way, perhaps you will enjoy the way Groucho faced a similar problem as yours.
http://www.chillingeffects.org/resource.cgi?ResourceID=31