Site Owner Says He Didn’t Cybersquat: Man Says He Has Not Tried to Sell Domain; Other Sites Snatched Up
By David Ingram, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.
Dec. 20–A Web site that references Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory no longer redirects visitors to a potential rival’s site.
Until recently, visitors to www.mccroryforgovernor.com were sent automatically to the site of Bill Graham, one of three Republicans seeking their party’s nomination for N.C. governor in 2008.
McCrory is considering joining the GOP race and said last week he was surprised to learn that someone had registered a Web site using his name. Graham’s campaign said it wasn’t involved.
Now, www.mccroryforgovernor.com gives a series of disclaimers, disavowing any intent to make money from the site.
“The owner of this domain has never offered to sell this domain name at any time, to anyone, in any form or fashion, whatsoever,” the site read Wednesday.
Thomas McIvor of Winston-Salem has owned the rights to the domain name since June 2006. He wrote in an e-mail to the Observer that he is not affiliated with and has not communicated with either the Graham or McCrory camp.
McIvor also wrote that he is not “cybersquatting,” a term that can imply a commercial interest. He did not respond to follow-up questions about why he registered the site.
At least two other sites referencing McCrory are also reserved: www.mccrory2008.com and www.patmccrory2008.com. The rights were purchased Dec. 13, the same day the Observer reported on McIvor’s site.
Records initially identified the registrant as Ed Conway, a UNC Charlotte employee who has not responded to inquiries from the Observer. On Wednesday, records showed the registrant as an Arizona company that helps the owners of Web domains to hide their identities.
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