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The

WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) handed

down a ruling regarding the dispute filed by the Tupac Shakur

Estate over the domains Tupac.com and Tupac.net . Judge Richard

D. Faulkner of Texas, ordered the domain names stay with the current

owner, R.J. Barranco. The two month dispute began when Tupac’s

estate sent a cease and desist letter to the domains owner. Demands

to give up the name to the Estate weren’t met, and the formal

process began. The Judge said in his ruling: "The position

asserted by the Claimant, if accepted, would effectively prohibit

any fan club from being established on the Internet if it mentioned

in the site name an artist’s name, where part or all of that name

related to a registered mark or even perhaps transgressed claims

of common law rights in a name. It would also permit persons in

the position of this Claimant to unjustly enrich themselves by

confiscating the work of fans and admirers in establishing a web

site supporting their favorite artists without any opportunity

for compensation."

Both of the names

were registered in 1998, and they both operate as a fan site for

the late Tupac Shakur. The WIPO recently made a man give up the

common name Madonna.com, and relinquish control of the URL to

the singer.