Before that, ModernWarfare3.com had simply hosted anti-Call of Duty propaganda. When the redirect began, though, many who hadn’t seen the site thought Electronic Arts had one-upped its competitor by buying the name. EA quickly denied it had anything to do with it, and the stories surely gained Activision’s notice.
Since then the site has reverted to its original content. Evidently tired of the antagonism, Activision filed a complaint yesterday with the National Arbitration Forum, reports Fusible. A .pdf of the entire complaint is at the link.
It cost $US2,600 to file the dispute, Fusible notes; Activision wants the panel to “transfer the registration for the Domain Name” to it. As the owner of the site is unknown—it was registered through a proxy—the complaint is against the proxy registry itself.
Activision Files Complaint Over ModernWarfare3.com [Fusible]
The Mad Scot
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 11:26 AMJust can’t take little criticism.
Aidan
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 11:37 AMHa. I’m liking the attitude of whoever owns the domain.
Lord Crumplebottom
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 11:51 AMYou can simply contact users of Domain by Proxy Ltd by emailing (domainname)@domainsbyproxy.com … or something like that.
Activision are setting a new standard in hiring noobs.
weresmurf
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 11:52 AMThis is freakin’ hilarious. I don’t think Activision realises but the damage has been DONE. It’s a minor internet legend now amongst gamers. Suck it up Acti and start making a game that could compete with BF3. If you actually tried, I’m sure COD could be fun again instead of 4 hours of mediocrity.
Coagmano
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 12:17 PMAs much as I dislike COD and Activision; I hate domain squatters more. Its appalling that getting a domain which infringes on your trademark costs so much, since I’ve seen this happen to smaller companies who have no recourse. I hope they get it back and the original owners have to pay the legal fees or restitution.
MarkD
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 4:58 PMIf I own the domain before it was your trademark, then sorry, too bad.
Cooper
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 6:19 PMThis is different to domain squatting. Domain squatting usually means taking the domain and then hosting stupid shit on it until the company buys it back but this website is actually about modern warfare 3 just not in the sense that activision wants it to be.
Jake
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 9:13 PMI think its ridiculous too. People just wait until the second something comes out and try to steal the domain solely to make a quick buck.
I think this is funny, but I don’t the guy should have been able to do it in the first place.
MarkD
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 10:46 PMWhy not?
What if I buy the domain http://www.crazyawesomegamethatdoesntexistyet.com and then in 2 years time Square Enix makes a game called crazyawesomegamethatdoesntexistyet. Should I have to give them my website?
Richard
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 9:11 AMBecause if Square had brought out crazyawesomegamethatdoesntexistyet and it sold really well, you’d be a dick for registering ‘crazyawesomegamethatdoesntexistyet2.com’ because it’s an inevitability.
It’s not like ‘modernwarfare3.com’ was registered before MW1 was released.
MattC
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:38 AMSo you’re saying there should be laws against being a dick now? That’s a worse idea than Activision’s decision to despute it. Hell, that’s worse than being a dick in the first place. For shame.
markd
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 1:45 AMAnd where does that philosophy stop? Should I not be allowed to buy a piece of land in Sydney because one day it will be worth more money when the CBD inevitably expands?
DENAz
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:27 AMTo me, its just like real estate. You buy the ‘land’ before it becomes popular, then sell it for a profit. Seems pretty smart to me
Mac
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 1:19 PMSmart doesn’t necessarily mean ethical. Clever business practice if you can get away with it, but also a dick move.
Data-Cain
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at 9:17 AMYou mean like the time this big company fired 2 employee’s so they didn’t have to pay them…
oh wait that was Activision and they fired the creators of Modern Warfare…
:P
I say lulz at Activision.
Broken Code.
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 12:18 PMWhat? Activision can’t take alittle heat? Then it should stay the fuck outta the internetz!
Reoh
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 1:07 PMPic makes no sense, should’ve googled a baby crying!
Nicholas Prior
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 3:05 PMThe pic is of an 80′s band called ‘Twisted Sister’ who sing a song called ‘We’re not gonna take it’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT1LXhgXPWs
m
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 1:11 PMFingers crossed they lose.
4len
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 1:49 PMRespect where respect is due.. someone outsmarted you Activision, stop sooking
Chazz
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 2:31 PMIf the same had happened in reverse and BF3 was the one being mocked then all the BF3 fanbois would be saying how stupid and immature the whole thing is but because it’s CoD and Activision it’s somehow okay. Gotta love double standards.
Either way, I hope BF3 is good and that MW3 also good. My only concern is that the BF games have taken a steady nosedive since BF2 whereas the MW games (love or hate ‘em) have been consistent.
Kyle_Katarn
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 10:00 PMHas it happened, yet? No? Then stop making stupid assumptions.
Patrick
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 3:25 PMI only read this ’cause of the Twisted Sister pic. I was let down.
Patrick
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 3:25 PMI only read this ’cause of the Twisted Sister pic. I was let down.
Tom
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 3:32 PMLOL Activision is getting a bit cut? QQ more I say!
Peck
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 4:18 PMsuck a pole Activision, you give people to many reasons not to like you
b4d
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 6:03 PM@Reoh…’we’re not gonna take it’. May be a tad old for you young folk
n/a
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 9:28 PMTheir too little too late. The domains been taken since 2009. It was never a problem prior but oh wait, we have a game now soon to launch, now we need it to advertise.
Jim
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 9:59 PM@b4d: It isn’t “a tad old”. I was born nine years after Stay Hungry’s release, and yet here I am at 17 and a big fan of Dee Snider and the boys. The problem lie’s in what these kids think is music these days; this Kesha and Hip Hop crap is ruining our kids taste in music.
maelkann
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 11:32 PMToday, I learnt that ‘nettlesome’ is a word!
Virus__
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 2:32 AMThe article picture makes me wish Dee still wore the make up etc, it was hilarious.
Mase
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 7:26 AMI bet Activision could have bought the domain for less than the cost of filing that dispute
Awnshegh
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 9:59 AMOr at least for less than the damage of trying to get their Anti MW3 site taken down will do.
Bah who am I kidding. I’m a gamer and I will play MW3. I will more than likely prefer BF3 but this crap won’t stop me from forking out my hard earned on day one.
DENAz
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 11:28 AMWell if activision came up with some new games, it wouldn’t matter. Maybe I should go out and get a domain for Modern Warfare 99 right now!!! :P
Franz
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 7:09 PMSuck it up Activision you cry babies, you have lost my respect, grow up, this is the real world.
Props to whoever owns the domain, there is nothing wrong with domain squatting/scalping.