09-3927 uBID, Inc., v. The GoDaddy Group, Inc.

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Civil Procedure
Personal jurisdiction

A out-of-state computer company that registers internet domain names is subject to suit for cybersquatting.

GoDaddy has thoroughly, deliberately, and successfully exploited the Illinois market. Its attempt to portray itself either as a local Arizona outfit or as a mindless collection of servers is unconvincing. This is a company that, like the national magazine in Keeton, has conducted extensive national advertising and made significant national sales. GoDaddy has aired many television advertisements on national networks, including six straight years of Super Bowl ads. It has engaged in extensive venue advertising and celebrity and sports sponsorships. All of this marketing has successfully reached Illinois consumers, who have flocked to GoDaddy by the hundreds of thousands and have sent many millions of dollars to the company each year. These contacts establish GoDaddy’s minimum contacts with the state for claims sufficiently related to those contacts.”

Reversed.

09-3927 uBID, Inc., v. The GoDaddy Group, Inc.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Kocoras, J., Hamilton, J.

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