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Protest group out to 'destroy' eToys
The group is calling for the destruction of online toy seller eToys and says it already has a group of hackers ready for the challenge.


By Connie Guglielmo, Inter@ctive Week
UPDATED December 14, 1999 5:51 PM PT

A protest group calling for the destruction of online toy seller eToys said it already has hackers working on ways to interfere with site traffic counts and the toy seller's server operations.







People seldom follow ignorance and ignorance is flowing from this attempt.
-- --Sharon Christian, Executive



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In a press release sent out Dec. 12, RTMark, a group describing itself as a "machine to improve its shareholders' culture and life -- sometimes to the detriment of corporate wealth -- put out a call to Internet users to "destroy" eToys by joining in a series of "sabotage" projects intended to lower the company's stock market value as "quickly as possible."

Those projects, which RTMark has referred to collectively as a "mutual fund" -- the "etoy Fund" -- range from a boycott of the eToys (Nasdaq:ETYS) site to e-mail campaigns to calling on hackers to interfere with site operations and traffic counts in moves RTMark hopes will cripple the company's servers during the 10 busy shopping days leading up to Christmas.

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RTMark spokesman Ernest Lucha said the campaign is intended to protest a trademark infringement suit eToys is waging against a European conceptual artist group called "etoy." A Los Angeles judge last month issued a preliminary injunction ordering the award-winning art group to stop using the domain name www.etoy.com or risk fines of up to $10,000 per day.

Trademark infringement suit
What's raising the ire of protesters, Lucha said, is the fact that 5-year-old etoy registered the domain name in October 1995 -- two years before eToys registered its domain name in the U.S.

The next court hearing in the trademark infringement suit is scheduled for Dec. 27. Published reports said the two are working on settling the case.

RTMark -- pronounced "art mark" -- is not the only group to protest against the eToys suit. A number of other sites have been established to contest the top toy seller's methods, including Toywar.com and Eviltoy.com. But RTMark recognizes its campaign, launched last week, calls for the most violent action.

EToys spokesman Jonathan Cutler said Monday that the toy seller was not aware of RTMark's plans.

"Our aim is to destroy the company," said Lucha, acknowledging that this is the first time the 8-year-old group, which has created parodies of George W. Bush's campaign site, has solicited funding for one of its sabotage projects against a specific company. The group, which Lucha said seeks to publicize the widespread corporate abuse of democratic institutions such as courts and elections, is funded through donations that typically average $100.

Sued or destroyed?
But the etoy Fund is different. "We've got volunteers working on a program that will fake the Web access counts for eToys. We think if we make enough trouble, it will start affecting what investors think of the company and bring down their stock price," says Lucha.

But Lucha acknowledged the likely result of the etoy Fund is that it will merely bring attention to the case. He added that RTMark is not working for or on behalf of etoy, and that the art group is not participating in RTMark's efforts.


'It fits into a long tradition of corporate bullying, where big corporations are able to use the court system to maintain their power.'
-- RTMark spokesman Ernest Lucha

"It's sensationalism," he admitted. "We're trying to call attention to what's going on and make it clear that a lot of people are not happy with the case and what it represents . . . to show how outrageous it is. It fits into a long tradition of corporate bullying, where big corporations are able to use the court system to maintain their power."

Asked if he was worried about possible legal reprisals against the group, whose members remain anonymous, Lucha noted RTMark is prepared for the possibility.

"This is the first time we've gone after the destruction of a company. The only way it's strictly illegal is if we do damage to them," Lucha said. "We've always known there's a chance that we will be sued or destroyed. If we do, we will go down in a ball of fire with as much noise and publicity as we can."

See also: Computing section


Talkback:
eToys is a paper tiger ... stri... - George Kaplan
The absurdity of it all overwhe... - Buckmasta
I can't believe that they are d... - Dave
Once again a small group of ter... - Clifton J. Bardwell
Well, now that they've announce... - Monkey McGee
Stupid. This is all so stupid.... - diego montego
If the fact is true that etoy.c... - ChadK
It's not about terrorism, it's ... - Dave W
Strange... I think eToy is in ... - John Davis
RTMARK looks to be a company th... - Jim Holloway
eToys is completely wrong! T... - Jim Layman
I can't believe a judge awardin... - Joe Lin
Well, I think I have heard it a... - Sharon Christian
Terrorists? Get real. These ... - Chris Moore
This is so simple! Etoy.com exi... - Michael Smith
In response to George Kaplan fr... - Kevin Wagner
I will not buy from them anymor... - Student
I don't see how the judge could... - Benedict Chong
Etoys is wrong The judge is wr... - Philip Florence
Frankly, etoy should be suing e... - Patrick Rodriguez
Baloney Clifton, the one that i... - Allen
eToys the victim? Please. Leave... - Tony Ramos
Give me a break Clifford. This... - Peter B
Someone should take on SUN like... - Bob James
Large Terrorist Organization ho... - Azmodius
Right on! This group is doing ... - Marvin
This is outrageous. I hope tha... - Art Mart
Of course, it's a typical examp... - nick
Sad, it sounds like Lucha is fu... - Jay
The wisdom of 1940's USA. Th... - JSF
Corporation should start buildi... - Jay Russian
Here's an idea for all itchy-fi... - Freeedooooom!
etoy had the domain first. the... - aj
I hope EToy has enough info to ... - Alan Gregg
I am happy that there is a grou... - Lisa Goswick
GREED!!! I have a four year ol... - A concerned Aunt!
Call them and let them know how... - SABoyce
I can't believe the level of du... - Rick Ravenelli
This is no way of handling the ... - Lee Yarbrough
Sounds like a drastic step to f... - Joseph Teller
etoy.com vs. etoys.com. Yes I c... - Conrad V. Gardner
As I was reading this article, ... - Mark
I have a great idea! I've regis... - PEMNet
Moore's naive logic is scary, t... - Christopher Shea
Thats a scary thought. It coul... - Stephen Boston
Lets see how many toy soldiers ... - DoDo
While I think the judge was wro... - Susan Kranft
Go home hackers! Leave us alone... - Mark F. Kamoski
People, wake up! This is nothin... - B. Parks
I'm going to boycott etoys.com.... - Jennifer Reynolds
It just goes to show where our ... - Laddie Searcy
It never occurred to anyone at ... - Jim Mowreader
eToys is in the wrong. That mu... - Brad Reidy
First come first serve. Amazon... - Carsten
Sore losers!! Amazing how *sure... - Chris
ZDNet should follow thru on thi... - Steven Hummel
RTMark is way off base about th... - John Waller
Money, it's that is what americ... - HH
To me, it is a sad commentary o... - Bob Wadsworth
Does this mean that if I have a... - John Randle
Etoys is in the wrong. RTMark i... - Toy Mojo
1st come, 1st serve?? I though... - Ben
RTMark seems like the scrooge o... - Jason Stern
For more information and backgr... - Eric Bedell
RTMark seems like the scrooge o... - Jason Stern
DISCUSSI... - Tammy Cavadias - ZDNet News
This worries me. I am a web... - Pete
Jeez... why not cooperate? Hey,... - Realistico
Who cares? Is this really impor... - Scott Dickison
Boycott RTMark!! Don't buy any ... - Jake Johnson
What jursdiction does a La-La L... - Randomluck
At least keep up with your own ... - Owen
I can't believe this. Unfortun... - jaison
etoy.com is based in Italy. Wh... - Phil Bodley-Scott
Lucha, there is a word for what... - Mike
Having made my original post, I... - Clifton J. Bardwell
EToys was once a small company ... - Chuck




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