Slipknot is taking their digital identity back: the Grammy-winning metal band has filed a federal lawsuit against the anonymous owner of the domain Slipknot.com, accusing the operator of cybersquatting and profiting from counterfeit merchandise sold under the band’s name.

The case, filed this week in a Virginia federal court, marks a decisive move by the Iowa heavyweights to reclaim their long-lost domain, which has been in the hands of a mystery registrant since early 2001. According to the complaint, the website has been misleading fans for years by hosting ads and links for unlicensed “Slipknot”-branded products, including replica masks and apparel that mimic the band’s official merchandise.

Slipknot first broke through in 1999 with their self-titled debut, launching one of the most distinctive brands in heavy metal. But by the time their fan base exploded in the early 2000s, the Slipknot.com domain had already been registered by an unknown party. As a result, the band was forced to adopt an alternate address - Slipknot1.com, as their official home online.

For nearly 25 years, the two domains have coexisted. Slipknot1.com functioned as the verified hub for tour dates, merchandise, and news, while the original Slipknot.com remained outside the band’s control. According to the new lawsuit, the unlicensed site has long directed unsuspecting visitors to “cheap promotional products” and “costume masks” that copy Slipknot’s signature imagery and stage gear.

That activity, the band argues, has crossed the line from passive domain squatting into active commercial exploitation, giving them grounds to pursue the case under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), a federal statute that protects trademark owners from domain misuse.

Slipknot’s attorney, Craig Reilly, wrote in the filing that the domain was “registered in an effort to profit off of the plaintiff’s goodwill and to trick unsuspecting visitors into clicking on web searches and other sponsored links.” The complaint claims the site’s operator is monetizing traffic generated by fans who reasonably assume the domain is the band’s official page.

Reilly added that visitors seeking legitimate Slipknot merchandise are being “misled into purchasing counterfeit or unauthorized products,” resulting in economic harm to the group and dilution of its brand.

The identity of the site’s owner remains unknown. The domain’s registration traces back to a P.O. Box in the Cayman Islands, a common tactic used by anonymous domain holders to obscure their location. Records show the domain was purchased in February 2001, roughly two years after Slipknot’s debut album and just months before the release of their platinum-selling follow-up, Iowa.

Under the ACPA, trademark holders can seek to seize domain names that were registered “in bad faith” with the intent to profit from the confusion their brands create. Slipknot’s lawsuit seeks control of the domain, transfer of ownership, and damages for the alleged infringement.

As of this weekend, Slipknot.com remains online, advertising a mix of off-brand merchandise and generic products seemingly designed to capture stray web traffic. The lawsuit notes that the site’s design and product listings could easily fool casual fans or newer listeners, particularly given the band’s global reach and the long-standing assumption that “Slipknot.com” would naturally belong to Slipknot.

Representatives for the band have not publicly commented on the litigation beyond the filing, but the move underscores a broader effort among major artists to consolidate their digital presence.