HOUSTON — A Harris County catering services provider is suing website developers, alleging cybersquatting.
Party & Reception Center Inc. filed a complaint Feb. 8 in Harris County District Court against Tony Tarius and Tarius Media LLC, alleging violation of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.
According to the complaint, in January 2014, Party & Reception entered into an agreement and paid Tarius Media to redesign its website and host its domain. In March 2014, the suit says, Tarius persuaded the plaintiff to switch domains.
As a result of the defendants' conduct, Party & Reception says it had to pay Tarius more than $7,700 for the domain, even though the defendant had paid only $51.33 to acquire the domain.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants purchased and registered Party and Reception's sylvanbeachpavilion.com and sylvan-beach-pavilion.com domains in their own name and failed to transfer the same to the plaintiff's name.
Party & Reception Center seeks trial by jury, statutory damages between $2,000 and $200,000, exemplary damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs of court and all other just and proper relief. It is represented by attorney Robert A. Kouts of Pearland.
Harris County District Court Case number 2017-08712