Porn Law Targets Cybersquatters

For prosecutors looking to build a forceful test case against predatory domain-name practices, John Zuccarini is probably the closest thing to a hole in one.

In Internet circles, Zuccarini has long been notorious as a so-called "typo-squatter," having registered thousands of domain names based on common misspellings of popular sites. People who unwittingly enter the misspelled names into their browser windows find themselves confronted with porn, pop-up ads and other unwanted distractions.
To make matters worse, prosecutors note, some of those domains appear to directly target children. Current picks include the websites Teltubbies.com and Bobthebiulder.com, variations on the animated programs Teletubbies and Bob the Builder. But rather than finding their cartoon friends, those who type in the misspelled Web addresses get directed to a garish porn site called Hanky Panky College.

Given Zuccarini's history, domain-name policy experts say it's not surprising he's the first person arrested under a 5-month-old statute that makes it a criminal offense to misdirect Internet users to obscene or pornographic content, with harsher penalties for those who misdirect minors to such content. Under the new "truth in domain names" law, a provision of the Protect Act, Zuccarini could face up to four years in prison.

And now that the U.S Department of Justice is off to an easy start, experts say it's unlikely they'll stop with Zuccarini.

"The government's evocation of this with such a high-profile individual is an indication of things to come," said Christopher Pierson, an attorney who specializes in cybersecurity and liability issues. He believes the Justice Department is likely to crack down soon on other websites with similar misleading tactics.

While the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, which brought the case against Zuccarini, declined to disclose if other investigations are pending, the first arrest is already generating some distress for the adult industry.