Bodog Loses Domain Name in Patent Suit: Poker Now on NewBodog.com

Bodog owner Calvin Ayre was forced to launch a new gambling and poker web site Tuesday evening, due to a legal order in a patent infringement dispute with 1st Technology LLC of Las Vegas Nevada, causing the loss of most of his Bodog.com domain names; so to play online poker at Bodog you will now need to go to www.newbodog.com.

Last September, 1st Technology sued Antigua-based Bodog Entertainment Group SA before Judge Roger L. Hunt in a federal court in Nevada USA, alleging the online gaming company was illegally using a "method and system for interactively transmitting multimedia information over a network which requires a reduced bandwidth," according to court documents.

1st Technology LLC is described (in a press release with Chartwell Technology) as a leading technology licensing company with a patent portfolio of advanced Internet and multimedia innovations, including patents to deliver high quality multimedia for online gaming products. The company is headed by Internet pioneer Dr. Scott Lewis, and includes licensees Paradise Poker, Chartwell Technology, Playtech Ltd., Sportingbet, and Excapsa Software.

When Bodog failed to appear in court to defend itself, it lost the case by default. Presiding Judge Roger L. Hunt ordered Bodog to pay $48,937,456 by March 2007 to 1st Technology for patent infringement.

When the March due date passed, the case became an enforcement issue and was moved druing June to the state of Washington, according to 1st Technology's attorney Venkat Balasubramani.

Bodog also failed to appear there.

Balasubramani insists that Bodog has been provided notices at various stages of both the lawsuit and the enforcement action. "It's safe to assume they knew about it and definitely ignored it," he added.

At the enforcement proceedings, 1st Technology noted Bodog had failed to respond to the default judgment and asked that all Bodog domains be confiscated and transferred to them. On Aug. 21, Judge John Erlick ordered all registrars to transfer Bodog related domains to the control of 1st Technology.

"The Court makes it clear that the intent of this Order is to allow the Plaintiff to liquidate or otherwise monetize the Domain Names without incurring any expense," said Erlick in the ruling.

"Plaintiff may decide not to auction the domain names, and instead may operate the Domain Names in any manner it sees fit, including exploiting any traffic to the sites accessible via the domain names," he added.

Balasubramani, who specializes in commercial litigation that involves the Internet and technology, said that the purpose behind the order was to satisfy the apparently ignored 1st Technology judgment.

1st Technology is serious about following through with the judgment against Bodog, as it has with other companies in the past.

"1st Tech has a large multi-firm team dedicated to enforcing the judgment relative to Bodog, enforcing its rights in its intellectual property and protecting its intellectual property rights relative to others active in the U.S. market, and demonstrating that no company that has customers in the United States is above or beyond U.S. legal jurisdiction," said a company spokesman.

Bodog does not appear to be ignoring this any longer. "1st Technology is in contact with Bodog's lawyers," the spokesman added.

Tuesday evening, Bodog launched www.newbodog.com and stressed that the new site offers "the same Web site, same brand, same product, and same service. Just a new domain name."

Ayre posted on newbodog.com that his company was involved in a legal dispute that included the rights to the Bodog.com domain names.

"This is the result of a legal dispute over the ownership of the Bodog.com domain name," Ayre said. "We are fighting this dispute. We are confident that we will win, but until all is settled, I do not want our battle to interrupt your play."

He continued saying, "We are working to resolve any remaining issues on the temporary site as soon as possible, and fully expect to have our original site back up shortly."

"I sincerely apologize if you were affected by our interruption and assure you that I will update you soon," Ayre said in closing in his post.

More Poker News Articles

PokerStars to Sponsor Irish Poker Championship
12am Wed Mar 31st, 2010

PokerStars.com, the world's largest online poker site, just announced that they will throw their substantial weight behind one of Ireland's major poker festivals, The Irish Poker Championship (IPC), as part of the new PokerStars.com UK and Ireland Poker Tour.

UIGEA Delayed 6 Months in Temporary Victory for Online Poker
12am Thu Dec 3rd, 2009

Days before the December 1 deadline for implementing the UIGEA, the U.S. government announced a six-month postponement of the poorly defined anti-gambling regulations. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board jointly released a statement moving the deadline for UIGEA compliance to June 1, 2010.

Fabrice Soulier Joins Everest Poker's Pro Roster
12am Thu Nov 26th, 2009

To further strengthen its support for French poker in anticipation of the opening of that market, Everest Poker has signed renowned French poker pro Fabrice Soulier as its latest ambassador.

HHPT Co-Sponsors Bayou Poker Challenge Ladies Event Dec. 20
12am Wed Nov 25th, 2009

The HighHeelsPokerTour (HHPT), the first all women's poker tour launched on the East coast, will wrap up their 2009 schedule at Harrah's New Orleans on December 20th where they will co-sponsor the Ladies Event #14 no-limit Hold'em at 12 pm.

OPPAGA Reports on Florida's Online Poker Options
12am Tue Nov 24th, 2009

Given that UIGEA permits individual states to regulate online poker, the Florida Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) published a report this week presenting three options available to Florida State lawmakers in order to protect consumers from unlawful internet poker: regulate it, prohibit it, or carry on with the status quo pending federal legislation.

BC Poker Champion Arrested, Charged with Manslaughter
12am Tue Nov 24th, 2009

Just two days after taking down the BC Poker Championships Main Event, Sophon Sek of Cloverdale, BC, was arrested in connection with one of the most storied crimes in the Province's history.

Local Businessman Bags European Poker Tour Vilamoura Bling
12am Sun Nov 22nd, 2009

The European Poker Tour rolled into the Casino Vilamoura last week, instantly generating the richest poker prize pool in the nation of Portugal's history.

Keikoan Captures Harvey's Lake Tahoe WSOPC Championship
12am Thu Nov 19th, 2009

This week marked the finale of the biggest annual tournament series in Northern Nevada, the WSOP Circuit championship at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. While the Main Event saw only a modest turnout, it did boast of a tough final table, and a WSOP bracelet owner as the eventual champion.

WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada to Appear on Letterman
12am Wed Nov 18th, 2009

The poker world will receive some late night attention tonight as "The Kid" Joe Cada, the youngest champion in the four decade history of the World Series of Poker Main Event, takes a seat next to embattled talk show host David Letterman.

First Korean Champ of Asia Pacific Poker Tour Crowned in Cebu
12am Tue Nov 17th, 2009

Another stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour is in the books, this time it's the APPT Cebu in the Philippines, and for the very first time a Korean player has come out on top.