By Dan Kennedy • The press, politics, technology, culture and other passions

Cybersquatting on Blute

If Peter Blute really does run against Ted Kennedy for the U.S. Senate, he could have a bit of trouble on the Internet front.

The domain name peterblute.com was registered in July 2004 by someone who appears to be a prankster. According this “whois” search, the domain is owned by a W. Bates of Boylston, who uses the e-mail address NotRobi (at) roncrews.com. Ron Crews is a notorious anti-gay activist. Robi happens to be the name of Blute’s wife.

The mysterious Mr. (or Ms.) Bates owns roncrews.com as well. No surprise there.

As you will see by clicking here, the parody Ron Crews Web site is up and running. But there’s nothing when you try to go to peterblute.com. Not yet, anyway.

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7 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Do you really think he has a chance anyway? What has he done for the state? He is perceived as another Republican-connected bureaucrat, with hack job assignments and not so stellar management record. Oh, I forgot, also known as an average-to-mediocre and very forgettable radio host.That is the more serious deficiency. If he were truly a great asset and potential strong candidate, the website address would be the least of his worries. He could come up with another web address combination. Not a big deal. Not a deal breaker.Besides, I believe you may be too worried, Dan. The Law is on Peter’s side. The law would side with you if you are a celebrity and someone grabs a website address and uses it for pruposes related to YOU.Many artists and celebrities or companies won such cases after the precedent was set in the late 90’s when Digital Laws were just being crafted and tested. Simply prove your name/identiy is an inseperable asset from your financial, entertainment or political entity with potential damages if “your good name” is misused to hurt your income/business or promote a competing business.So if this prankster were to use it in anyway about or against Peter, Blute could legally manage to yank it back.What this prankster is benefitting from is publicity and people like you linking to him now. The way to ‘reward’ these idiots is to not go to their site or patronize anything on there.One aside to this, I was ‘heartened’ (sniff sniff) by Howie Carr’s endorsement of Peter. Of course he had to remind us all of the Nautilusgate or Flashgate or Boozecruisegate -your choice, but in the absence of other reliable candidates outside of Muffy, he can’t help but prop up an old nemesis. (“I’m with you, Peter”)Funny how media and political worlds come around just a couple of years later.N.

  2. Anonymous

    While he may be “perceived as a Republican hack”, he did manage to get elected (once) to the U.S. Congress before being “bigfooted” by Jim McGovern, former Press Secretary to The Sainted Joe Moakley. (As a Democrat, McGovern is in “public service” rather than a “hack”.) “All the animals are equal but some are more equal than others”.

  3. Anonymous

    Off topic…But hey, Dan… seven blog entries filed by you after the Cheney hunting accident, including the breathless report that Mr. Whittington had “Birdshot lodged in his heart”….And the day that Mr. Whittington exits the hospital under his own power, sharply dressed, with a statement to the media, in your blog there’s….Nada.Zilch.Nothing.No news then, eh?

  4. Dan Kennedy

    Anonymous 4:54 — “Cheney Speaks” was my last word on the subject, pending some new development. Harry Whittington appeared to be making a “rapid recovery,” as I wrote at the time. Overall, the item was pretty favorable to Cheney. I give Cheney credit for taking his actions far more seriously than his more mindless defenders seem to want to do. You wouldn’t be one of them, would you, Anon?

  5. tony schinella

    Back on topic … Don’t write Blute off so fast. While his chances are thin to actually beat TedK, look for him to run a populist campaign which will get a lot more play than say, Ken Chase, who got hammered by the clueless Rep. Ed Markey in 2004 and is supposedly running. Also, look for Blute to get minor – albeit, significant – union/Reagan Democrat support for his opposition to NAFTA, GATT/WTO, and PMFN trade status to China – horrific trade legislation all supported by TedK, much to the chagrin of working folks. If Blute can get a couple of debates, and land some serious punches, it might be interesting.

  6. Anonymous

    It is also the only contest where neither side could start whispering campaigns involving drunken women and the competition. Might actually address the issues. BTW, when was it again that the “chagrin(ed) working folks” had the cojones to complain about Working Class Hero Ted? If he hasn’t received a “pass” from organized labor, it has been kept pretty quiet.

  7. Anonymous

    I agree, both men have had their troubles upon the waterways of the Commonwealth and would probably agree not to make them an issue. I also suspect most women would rather hunt with Dick Cheney than ride in a car driven by Ted Kennedy.

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