The company appears to be an inveterate cyber-squatter

The BBC successfully argued that the company had no rights to the trade mark and that it had been registered in bad faith.

Data Art Corporation offered no response to the complaint.

Gambling and porn

Visitors to the site are directed to a variety of web sites, including those which provide online gambling, soft porn chatlines and trivia game shows.

British laws prevent broadcasters from running gambling services.

The company appears to have registered a score of trade marks of well known companies with the aim of selling them back for a high fee to their rightful owner.

It is not the first time the BBC has used the arbitration service set up by the UN.

It has already won back rights to its French and Spanish web sites, and the broadcaster is in star spangled company.

The Hollywood actress Julia Roberts and the family of the rock star Jimi Hendrix have used the UN service, which is increasingly seen as an alternative to taking a cyber-squatter to court.