SLIPKNOT have taken legal action to regain control of their official domain, Slipknot.com, after discovering it’s been used by an anonymous cybersquatter to promote counterfeit merchandise. The Iowa metal giants filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, October 15th, against an unidentified individual accused of operating the site and profiting off the band’s name and trademarks.
According to the suit, the domain’s current operator, believed to be based in the Cayman Islands, has been using Slipknot.com to host “pay-for-click” ads linking to fake SLIPKNOT merchandise. The products reportedly include imitation masks, t-shirts, and sweatshirts featuring the band’s iconic imagery.
Attorney Craig Reilly, representing SLIPKNOT, told Billboard that the domain “was registered in an effort to profit off of plaintiff’s goodwill and to trick unsuspecting visitors — under the impression they are visiting a website owned, operated or affiliated with plaintiff — into clicking on web searches and other sponsored links.”
The band alleges that the fraudulent site has diverted fans away from official channels and damaged sales of legitimate SLIPKNOT merch. “A fan of plaintiff or someone who otherwise wanted to purchase authorized SLIPKNOT merchandise would undoubtedly visit the slipknot.com website assuming it belonged to plaintiff,” Reilly noted in the filing.
The lawsuit accuses the domain’s operator of trademark infringement, cybersquatting, and unfair competition. In addition to seeking an injunction to take back the Slipknot.com domain, the band is also pursuing unspecified financial damages.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.