Being bullied by easygroup

**easygadget** · 07-19-2005, 07:17 PM

hi guys,

we have recently being contacted by easygroup www.easy.com and accuse us of using the word easy in our domain and demand us to shut our site at www.easygadget.co.uk

As you can see, our site has absolutely no resembance to easygroup, but..what can we do... Is disheartening that we spend 18 hours a day building our brand and only to find out our successes being gulped down by a giant

As such, we are now into the market to setup a new domain, change our business entities and so on.
Most of the XXX domain which we are looking for are taken, but not occupied by a live site, simply being registered.

Is there a way to contact the owner and purchase the site off him? if so, how can we go about doing it?

Are there any attorneys here based in London who can advise us as well?

many thanks

**DNGeeks** · 07-19-2005, 07:44 PM

I would simply ignore them. They have been trying to bully everyone who has an easy*.* domain name for ages, except the big dogs such as easynews.com.

They are going after small people because they know they can simply get a transfer from some domainers because people such as yourself are afraid of litigation or simply cannot afford a lawyer.

I personally would tell them to stuff it, I suggest you do IF you are willing to go through with any consequences.

http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/deci...2000-0950.html

**Beachie** · 07-19-2005, 07:56 PM

I own Gadget.com, so you'd better look out now :smartass:

Tell them to get stuffed..

**Leading Names** · 07-19-2005, 08:10 PM

Check out a few of their WIPO losses (similar names) – might make you feel better

http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/deci...2000-0711.html

http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/deci...2000-0950.html

- Rob

**Acro** · 07-19-2005, 08:55 PM

The guy behind the Easy group is a self-made Cypriot billionaire. You pick your battles wisely now.

**DeluxeNames.com** · 08-06-2005, 07:07 PM

Dont give in to this crazy man, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who is harrassing you. He has a huge personality and ego. He is keen to be seen as the public face of the easyGroup of companies and to bask in the limelight of the media. However the law is not on his side, it's on yours.

Simon Mathews, the CEO of easyart.com, was in almost identical situation as yours and he defeated Stelios. Simon and his crew will almost certainly be eager to give you advice if you call them at: Tel: 0845 1662732 (+44 1435 864416 outside UK) or email them at: customercare@easyart.com.

Check out this as a resource:
http://www.easyprotest2.com/
and
http://www.easyprotest2.com/update10.html

Please email Mr Stephen Timms MP- the Government Minister responsible for E-Commerce in the UK at this email address:
mpst.timms@dti.gsi.gov.uk

He may be able to help you. Suggest to him that the UK also adopt Reverse Hijacking penalties like the US has.

Good luck and don't give in. The law is on your side.

Bryant Jones

**DeluxeNames.com** · 08-24-2005, 08:46 PM

Wow, Stelios Haji-Ioannou believes that he owns the rights to any domain with "easy," "ez," or "easie" in it. As if the very word "easy" never existed until the day he thought of using it!
He added a topic to his main website, alsmost, it seems as a reaction to this thread/topic. Here's a bit of his ranting:
(or go to his link here: http://www.easy.com/thieves/index.html )

Brand Thieves: Some people think they can make a fast buck by stealing our name and our reputation. They set up websites and companies using the name 'easy' (or phoenetic versions of it) which can either pay a passing resemblance to an easyGroup company or be a direct copy.

Scary stuff here people

**Acro** · 08-24-2005, 10:52 PM

EasyCrap.com is available to register.

**JuniperPark** · 08-24-2005, 11:48 PM

Someone needs to teach the guy a lesson. Get his picture. Get some text of some trannie porn. Register easyBJ.com, easyTranny.com, easyA---l.com. Be sure to use similar puke-orange design, build content, and let the search engines do the work. Register the names to his family, George Bush, Fidel Castro, etc.

**MrDude** · 08-25-2005, 05:01 AM

Yes, somebody does need to teach these a lesson, Maybe somebody needs to threaten the Easygroup for there domain because you own easyshoes.com

**DavidAusman** · 08-25-2005, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by JuniperPark

Someone needs to teach the guy a lesson. Get his picture. Get some text of some trannie porn. Register easyBJ.com, easyTranny.com, easyA---l.com. Be sure to use similar puke-orange design, build content, and let the search engines do the work. Register the names to his family, George Bush, Fidel Castro, etc.

LOL .... let me know if anyone had done it. Im intersted to see the website.

**unclewilco** · 08-25-2005, 05:34 AM

nice to see the bully is being bullied even though its by a bigger bully, about the colour orange and not domains, but an intresteing read..

http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulleti...our-beautiful/

**Steen** · 08-25-2005, 09:19 PM

I never really liked that guy.

**dvestors** · 08-25-2005, 09:38 PM

Is this the face of a threat?:

http://slow.easygroup.co.uk/easy.com...easyPizzaA.jpg

rest of the photo gallery:
http://www.easy.com/stelios/gallery.html

very impressive entrepreneur.

But that doesn't give him the right to bully anyone who uses the word "easy." Next someone's going to TM the word "fast" and start suing..

You know, that says something about him that he would actually add that "Brand Thieves" section on his corporate website. Maybe if it was in a personal blog that's fine..but I just find that a little unprofessional..

**Acro** · 08-26-2005, 01:47 AM

I believe they base their entire legal stance on the fact that they own easy.com
The rest is just aggressive legal representation. I believe Stelios is a Greek Cypriot BTW - even though he's "blood", I don't condone such crap from co-patriots.

**Rubber Duck** · 08-26-2005, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by RADiSTAR

The guy behind the Easy group is a self-made Cypriot billionaire. You pick your battles wisely now.

Yes, but he is in deep shit with Orange over his Easy Mobile Branding. As you probably know they are now owned by France Telecome, so he has probably bitten off more than he can chew.

I wouldn't give the bastard the time of day! Even Microsoft don't think they own the English Language.

Best Regards
Dave Wrixon

**Dale Hubbard** · 08-27-2005, 02:12 AM

In my opinion, Stelios is a bully -- but a litigous one with deep pockets. Having said that, I wouldn't take any notice of him. He's probably hand-regging EasyWIPO.com as we speak... plus all the typos and phonetic variants.