Cybersquatting Rears Its Head in Nevada Again

20 December 2001

An online casino operator is being taken to court as part of a cybersquatting suit involving Mandalay Resort Group's Excalibur trademark.

Michael Donaghy, president of International EGaming Developers Ltd., which operates an Antigua-based online casino, said he first learned he was being sued by Mandalay when a reporter from the Las Vegas Sun called to ask him about it on Wednesday.

"We've never been served any kind of papers," Donaghy said.

In fact, Donaghy said he doesn't even know why his company is involved in the lawsuit. He said about two years ago his company sold 1,800 domain names to Peter Kretz, who owns the Excalibur-related site that is the subject of the lawsuit. Donaghy said he was doubly surprised to learn of the lawsuit because the ownership of the names will expire in March.

"They're his names, we have nothing to do with them," he said.

Mandalay is suing to stop International EGaming, Michael Donaghy and Peter Kretz from using the Excalibur trademark to market Internet gambling.

A spokesman for Mandalay Resort Group said the company has a policy against commenting on lawsuits.