Internet Speculation
When I was a junior in college, the internet was starting to gain traction. In 1993, there were 130 active websites. Today, there are over 2 billion.
During my summer clerkship at our office in 1997, one of my tasks was to compile a list of helpful websites that our attorneys might consult, along with a summary of their content. I amassed a list of links to search engines, federal and state statutes, and other useful sites.
One page I visited was www.whitehouse.com. Thinking I typed in a link to the website of our Commander-in-Chief, instead I found lots of adult content. New pages took forever to load in those days, so I couldn’t simply navigate away from the site – I had to turn my computer off to get the images off my screen. Needless to say, I didn’t include the site on my list and instead used www.whitehouse.gov, the President’s official website.
whitehouse.com was created in 1996 as a place where uncensored discussion of government policies could occur. Because political discussions don’t pay the bills, adult content was added soon after to make the site more profitable. And profitable it was, generating $1 million in 2003.
In December of 1997, President Clinton issued a cease-and-desist letter to the site, stating: “…we do not challenge your right to pursue it or to exercise your First Amendment rights, but we do challenge your right to use the White House, the President, and the First Lady as a marketing device. For adult internet users, that device is, at the least, part of a deceptive scheme. For younger internet users, it has more disturbing consequences.” But the letter was ignored.
So, sometimes jumping on a potentially desirable website early can be profitable.
Jeremy Green Eche, a trademark attorney from New York, is an expert on the topic. Eche participates in what is known as ‘domain investing’ as a hobby. In his spare time, he purchases unclaimed domain names for under $10 in hopes of eventually selling them for a hefty profit.
In 2020, Eche purchased HarrisWalz.com, an internet domain made up of presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ last name and that of her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, for $8.99. After the democratic ticket was announced, Eche sold the domain to an individual buyer, who identified himself as a Harris supporter, for $15,000.
“I buy domain names that consist of combinations of two last names that I hope will end up being a major party’s presidential ticket,” Eche told CBS MoneyWatch. He owns about 60 domains, most of which are made up of the names of politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties whom he considers to be likely presidential candidates. But, when Harris chose Walz as her running mate and Eche sold the site, he compared it to “hitting the jackpot.” And it wasn’t the first time – in 2016, he sold Clintonkaine.com for $15,000.
While Eche refers to his pastime as domain investing, others consider it ‘cybersquatting,’ or registering a domain name with a bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. The practice is prohibited by the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), which was passed in 1999.
However, court decisions have been mixed if a cybersquatted site was not used for profit. As a trademark attorney, Eche knows that it is far quicker and less expensive to buy his domain for $15,000 than to sue him for the rights to it.
It seems that most Americans have already decided who they’re going to vote for, so it’s unlikely a candidate’s website will change their mind. But, statistics have shown, adding adult content will drastically increase traffic.

Reg P. Wydeven

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