WAILUKU >> A Maui couple is continuing to fight the Hawaii Tourism Authority over control of the Internet domain name hawaiiconventioncenter.com. Tourism agency
takes couple to court
over domain nameAssociated Press
John and Momilani Hendrickson face fines of more than $100,000 if a federal judge finds them guilty of "cybersquatting" for owning the Web site name.
The Hendricksons have operated a convention-services business in Wailuku for a decade and registered the domain name in 1997.
However, the Hawaii Tourism Authority wants the rights to the name. The agency adopted Hawaii Convention Center as the name for its then-unbuilt center in Waikiki in November 1994.
John Hendrickson said he would be ready to cooperate with HTA in promoting the Waikiki center. However, the state attorney general said Hendrickson is asking $6 million for the name.
Hendrickson said he does not want to sell at all, but when HTA kept pressing him, he threw out the $6 million figure.
Now the agency is taking the Hendricksons to court.
"Can I afford to fight them? They're hoping we can't," Hendrickson said.
A hearing is scheduled for March 10 on the agency's request for a preliminary injunction to keep Hendrickson from either using or selling the name.
Hawaii Tourism Authority