GENEVA — Playboy has been awarded the rights to the Internet domain name hughhefner.com in a U.N. panel ruling released Wednesday.
The adult entertainment empire brought the case against the Good Samaritan Program of Owings Mills, Md., which had registered the name.
The U.N. World Intellectual Property Organization ruled that Good Samaritan had no right to the name of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and ordered it transferred to the company.
Playboy contended that the Hefner name is an integral part of the corporation. Hefner, 75, has been editor in chief of Playboy magazine since 1953 and was president of the Playboy Club from 1959-86.
The company said he remains “the living embodiment of the lifestyle his magazine celebrated,” and is “one of the most popular media and entertainment figures in the world.”
Playboy said its name was used simply to attract Internet traffic to Good Samaritans sites.
Good Samaritan failed to respond to Playboy’s complaint, and presented no evidence to the U.N. panel.
