France is a 'cyber squatter' in fight over domain name, Krishnamurthy tells 'VICE News'

Visiting lecturer Vivek Krishnamurthy appeared on the May 15 edition of HBO’s “VICE News Tonight” (the segment starts around the 20-minute mark in the linked video) to discuss the case of Jean-Noel Frydman, a French-born American suing France in American court over the domain name France.com.

Frydman had owned the name for more than two decades - using it for a travel site focused on French destinations - when the French government sued in 2015 for ownership rights. An appeals court sided with the government, which ordered registrar Web.com to transfer ownership. France.com now redirects to France.fr, a government culture and travel site.

“Under the relevant American law, the government of France has suddenly become a cyber squatter,” Krishnamurthy, Clinical Attorney for Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, told “Vice News.” “There are numerous precedents here in the United States that show that (Frydman’s) France.com is very likely to win its case here. The law is very much on our side and against theirs.”

The Cyberlaw Clinic has represented France.com since 2015, although Frydman and France.com have outside representation in the lawsuit.