In 2000, Penguin released a book entitled Katie.com authored by Katherine Tarbox, a woman who at 13 years old had been the victim of an online predator. The book title is also a domain name, but katie.com doesn’t belong to, nor is it affiliated in any way with, either Penquin Books or the book’s author. The domain’s owner, Katie Jones, has used the domain as a personal website since 1996, but since the book’s release has been innundated with messages about sexual abuse, etc., none of which are intended for her.

Penguin has thus far refused to apologise for its choice of names for the book. Recently Tarbox has also started making the rounds as a speaker on US television, increasing the profile of the book, and indirectly Jone’s site.

It will likely end up in court at some point, and will make for an interesting case, since clearly Penguin and the author have continued to develop and promote the name with the knowledge that they don’t own it. No offer to buy the name has been made, but Tarbox’s laywer has tried to convince her to “donate the name”, and has advised Jones that she cannot sell the name because it’s associated with the book.

The backlash this story is creating can be seen in the reviews on Amazon.

The Register has things summed up well in Penguin and the great katie.com hijack.