RE/MAX accuses real estate agent of ‘cybersquatting’

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Las Vegas luxury real estate agent Cristine Rosa Lefkowitz has been sued by RE/MAX International Inc., which accuses Lefkowitz of "cybersquatting" and trademark infringement for registering Internet domain names using the RE/MAX name.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, says Lefkowitz and her company, C. Rosa Inc., wrongly registered more than 50 international Web site names such as "remaxbrazil.com," "remaxfrance.com" and "remaxsouthkorea.com."

Lefkowitz on Tuesday said she was surprised that the lawsuit was filed and denied infringing on the RE/MAX trademark. She said the names were registered years ago -- but never activated -- when she hoped to establish RE/MAX businesses in Brazil and other nations.

"It's silly of them to have filed a lawsuit," she said.

Lefkowitz said all of the domain names have expired except the one involving Brazil, and that one will expire within a few months.

Denver-based RE/MAX said it provides real estate brokerage services through a network of more than 90,000 franchisees and affiliated independent contractors. It says there are some 6,500 independent RE/MAX offices in the United States and more than 70 nations.

"Defendants' use of the infringing domain names has, upon information and belief, at all times been an intentional and willful attempt to profit, in bad faith, from the RE/MAX (trademarks)," the lawsuit charged in accusing Lefkowitz of cybersquatting.

Lefkowitz said she is a Certified International Property Specialist and frequently works with international buyers interested in high-end Las Vegas real estate.

But RE/MAX is not associated with her sales efforts, she said.

"We have never used the (RE/MAX) names to advertise our business," she said.

It was announced in April that Lefkowitz and her team specializing in luxury high rise sales had joined Prudential Americana Group in Las Vegas.

Formerly with Tower Realty Group, Lefkowitz is known for aggressive marketing on the Internet. She received an "Online Marketing Award of Excellence" last year from Realtor.com Vice President Max Pigman.