Casino sues website operator

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2003 | 11:10 a.m.

Mirage Resorts, parent company of the Golden Nugget hotel-casino, has filed a lawsuit against a company of unknown origin alleging cyber-squatting and trademark infringement.

The federal lawsuit was filed Nov. 17 against YH Technology, which is a company Mirage Resorts officials believe is based in Australia, said the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that YH Technology's website, www.goldnuggetcasino.net, infringes on the trademark rights of Mirage's Golden Nugget hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Although the website, www.goldnuggetcasino.net, was listed in the lawsuit, the website no longer exists and seems to have been replaced by www.24ktgoldcasino.com, which leads to Gold Nugget Online Casino.

The lawsuit alleges that YH Technology is committing trademark infringement, unfair competition and trademark dilution under federal statutes, common law trademark infringement, state deceptive trade practices and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.

Mirage Resorts seeks damages, attorney's fees and costs as determined at trial and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief requiring the company's domain name registrar to transfer the domain name to Mirage Resorts.

Representatives of the website could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit said the website is registered with Directi.com, a domain name registrar. But a person who answered the phone said the website is no longer registered with their company.

The www.24ktgoldcasino.com indicated the website is licensed with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake, Canada. Representatives of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission could not be reached for comment.