Is Sony BMG Cybersquatting Idol Domain Names?

Given that last year Sony BMG could barely bring themselves to sign Idol winner Natalie Gauci (and then half-heartedly offered a contract to Matt Corby, which he duly rejected), one could assume the grand old days of five or six finalists ending up with a deal of one form or another were well and truly over. But could the label be placing its bets on certain Idol ‘08 contestants’ future success by cybersquatting, if you will, their official domain names? One eagle-eyed Defamer informant seems to think that’s the case. So said the mysterious and no doubt handsome Robert in an email to us:

After watching the first episode I decided to look up some of the contestants domain names and found that Sony was the owner.

1. BROOKEADDAMO.COM
2. AMANDAGRAFANAKIS.COM
3. nicolebanks.com.au
4. thanhbui.com.au
5. markspano.com.au
6. CHRISLYNHAMILTON.COM
7. BROOKEWILKIE.COM
8. wesleycarr.com.au
9. sophiepaterson.com.au
10. JAMESSPARGO.COM
11. jonnytaylor.com.au
12. KAYLAVANZETTA.COM
13. MITCHELLSTEELE.COM
14. IRAESCHWENKE.COM
15. JADENDOWD.COM
16. SOPHIEPATERSON.COM

Naturally, we hopped on domainwhitepages.com, and Robert’s tip checks out.

So, what does this tell us about Idol this year (if anything)? (Although don’t go thinking the division between dot-com and dot-au holds a clue to potential export potential; there are just more Mark Spanos in the world than there are Amanda Grafanakises, evidently.) Sony BMG have a hunch are going to go on to big things, or is their “hunch” driven by their business acumen – are the contestants going to have to cough up to Sony BMG to buy back their domains? (When you’re a struggling waitress with a dream to be like your idol Whitney Houston, those registration fees don’t come cheap!) Did Sony BMG register your domain name? You know our name, look up the number!