Keith Versus Keith Over Website

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

The singer filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday against Keith D. Urban of Wayne, New Jersey who uses the website address www.keithurban.com to advertise oil paintings for sale.

Painter’s Web site includes the statement: "You have reached the site of Keith Urban. To those who don't know, oil painting is one of my hobbies." It then directs viewers to a gallery of paintings and offers a limited edition of prints for sale.

The entertainer, whose Web address is www.keithurban.net, claimed in the lawsuit that the painter is using his keithurban.com domain in a deceptive manner and is misleading people into believing the Web site belongs to him and is selling merchandise as if it were produced or endorsed by him.

The complaint said the lesser known Urban "registered an Internet domain name and has structured a related Web site with the intent of producing confusion" about who's sponsoring the site and the source of the merchandise for sale.

The 39-years-old singer accused the New Jersey man of federal trademark infringement, dilution of a federally registered trademark, federal unfair competition and violation of the anti-cyber squatting consumer protection act and the Tennessee consumer protection act.

The artist did not respond to e-mails sent through his Web site for comments.

In his filed lawsuit, famous Urban wants keithurban.com transferred to him, and asks for unspecified monetary damages. He also seeks a permanent injunction barring the painter from using keithurban.com or any Web site that suggest a connection with the singer.

The New Zealand-born, Australian-raised singer, whose birth name is Keith Lionel Urban, began learning guitar at age 6 and began winning talent contests by age 8. In 1990, Urban signed with the music company EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo album, which charted four No. 1 country hits in Australia.

The singer, who remained the front man for The Ranch, a three-piece group that released one album in 1997 to critical acclaim, disbanded the group to pursue a solo career.

Urban recently has completed a stint in rehab for alcohol abuse. He spent three months in a program for alcoholism at the Betty Ford Center from October 2006-January 2007.

Before this, in the late 90s Urban battled cocaine addiction. In 1998, he voluntarily checked into Cumberland Heights, a treatment center in Nashville to give up the habit. After getting out of cocaine habit Urban released his self-titled American debut in 2000, which produced three top 5 hits and secured for him the Top New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards.

His “Be Here” album, which was released in 2004, was nominated for best country album at the Grammy Awards and at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

His other hits include "Stupid Boy," "Making Memories of Us" and "Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me." He is preparing to launch a world tour this spring for his latest album, "Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing."

There were at least three women who came in the heartthrob singer’s life. Urban dated veterinary technician Laura Sigler in 1992. After sharing an on and off relationship for eight years, Urban proposed to her in 2001, but the pair did not keep their relation tied and broke up in 2002.

Then came former supermodel Niki Taylor in Urban’s life, to whom singer dated on and off for three years until they broke up in 2005.

Soon after his break-up with supermodel, Urban met Nicole Kidman to never leave her. Urban married Nicole Kidman in Sydney on 25 June 2006.