February 07, 2007

Country singer Keith Urban has filed a lawsuit against a painter of the same name, claiming that the lesser known Keith Urban's Web site infringes trademark and cyber-squatting laws.

Singer Urban filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday against the New Jersey painter who uses the Web site address www.keithurban.com to advertise oil paintings for sale.

The entertainer, who married Nicole Kidman last year and who recently ended a stint in rehab for alcohol abuse, says in the lawsuit that the Web site is being used "in a manner likely to deceive the public into believing that the website has a connection to Plaintiff that does not exist."

Urban's own Web site address is www.keithurban.net.

The singer, 39, wants the other Web site to be shut down and its domain name transferred to his ownership. He also seeks unspecified monetary damages.

The New Jersey painter could not be reached for comment.

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