Beckham sparks web frenzy

David Beckham's recent move to Real Madrid has sparked a hive of activity on the internet, according to a new report. Research from domain name company NetNames claims that over the past two months over 75 domain names based on derivatives of Beckham, Barcelona and Real Madrid have been registered. Within minutes of the announcement that Beckham would be donning the number 23 shirt next season, one individual based in the UK registered the domain names beckham23.com, becks23.com and becks23.co.uk. Other sites registered include beckhamsbarecelona.com, beckhamatrealmadrid.com and becksinspain.com. Before the squad number announcement, domain names including beckham11.com, beckham17 and beckham77.com were snapped up. Jonathan Robinson, director of business development at NetNames, said: "David Beckham is an extremely powerful and valuable brand, as widely acknowledged in the decision by Real Madrid to purchase the player. Therefore, it appears very surprising that neither Beckham's agents nor Real Madrid have done anything to secure these memorable addresses and protect his brand in the online world." "Domain names are the gateway to the internet and sites built around beckham23.com for instance, could now be used to sell unauthorised or fake merchandise. Loosing these or similar web addresses could prove to be damaging both commercially and in terms of managing Beckham's reputation online in the future," added Robinson.