Nancy Yanofsky, president of the ProChoice Resource Center, is filing a lawsuit against the creators of an anti-abortion website, alleging trademark infringement of the www.ProChoiceResource.org website. Yanofsky discovered the infringement when she entered “.com” instead of “.org” at the end of her organization’s website address. The “.com” version of the ProChoice Resource Center site redirects to a graphic, anti-abortion website. This practice, called “cybersquatting,” is a violation of federal and trademark laws.
Yanofsky’s case parallels a 1997 suit filed by Planned Parenthood (www.PlannedParenthood.org.) against the creators of an anti-abortion website with the web address PlannedParenthood.com. The judge in that case ruled the anti-abortion group had to stop using the “.com” version of the Planned Parenthood website.
