HTA settles Web site suit
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has agreed to pay a Maui business $20,000 to settle a Web site-name lawsuit that the HTA itself initiated in January.
John Hendrickson and his wife Momilani have run a convention-services business, Pacific Motivation Advisers, in Wailuku for more than 10 years. In 1997 they registered the domain name hawaiiconventioncenter.com.
The HTA accused the Hendrickson's of "cybersquatting," claiming they registered it only to hold it up for sale later since the HTA is responsible for the operation of the Hawaii Convention Center.
The Hendricksons maintained throughout that they were developing the Web site solely as a legitimate part of their convention business.
Their attorney, Joy Yanagida, said the Hendricksons had spent tens of thousands of dollars developing convention software for their business before the HTA asked them for the Web name, which they never intended to sell.
The Web site in question says only "Bring Your Convention to the Center of the Pacific" and leads to a map with words saying the full Web site is "coming soon."
