Uzi Nissan was the founder of Nissan Computer, ran a small repair business, and legally bought the domain for email/marketing

1. The origin story: a surname, a shop, and an early domain

Uzi Nissan used his family name for multiple businesses beginning in 1980 and incorporated Nissan Computer Corporation on May 14, 1991; he registered nissan.com on June 4, 1994 to promote computer hardware, maintenance and related services for his small retail operation ^{[2] [5] [1]}.

2. The corporate challenge: why Nissan Motor sued

In late 1999 Nissan Motor Co. and its U.S. affiliate sought to acquire nissan.com, negotiations failed, and the automaker filed suit alleging trademark dilution, infringement and cybersquatting — initially asking for as much as $10 million in damages — arguing the domain caused confusion with its global brand ^{[2] [6] [7]}.

3. The legal pivot: courts, First Amendment and surname defense

The dispute turned on whether Uzi acted in bad faith under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act and whether a person can use their own surname in commerce. Courts found that Nissan Computer registered the domain earlier and that Uzi’s longstanding use of his surname for businesses weighed in his favor; appellate rulings refused to order transfer of the domains and rejected a finding of cybersquatting by Uzi ^{[2] [8] [1]}.

4. What Uzi actually used the site for — and the limits placed on him

While Uzi created the site for his computer business, court proceedings led to restrictions: at times the district court barred commercial car‑related content and required prominent disclaimers clarifying no affiliation with Nissan Motor after the automaker objected to certain links and ads that could suggest association ^{[9] [10]}.

5. Personal and financial toll: “David vs. Goliath” lived up to its billing

Reporting and Uzi’s own accounts say the multi‑year fight cost him over $3 million and years of stress; commentators frame the saga as an emblematic small‑business vs. corporate resource mismatch and as a cautionary tale about early domain strategy ^{[11] [4] [10]}.

6. After his death: domain disappearance and estate litigation

Uzi died of complications from COVID‑19 in July 2020; subsequent reporting and filings show the domains were later misappropriated and in 2024 a judge ordered nissan.com transferred back to Uzi’s estate after the heirs alleged theft — extending the saga into posthumous estate litigation ^{[12] [4]}.

7. Two competing narratives and implicit agendas

Sources present competing perspectives: Uzi and sympathetic reporters cast his case as a principled defense of surname rights and a victory for the little guy ^{[11] [13]}; corporate and legal filings stressed brand protection and consumer confusion concerns that large trademark holders routinely advance. Some domain‑industry observers argue Uzi might have monetized the asset earlier, while others view that as victim‑blaming given the power imbalance ^{[10] [14]}.

8. What this story changed — and what reporting does not say

The Nissan.com litigation became a landmark example used in law schools and domain circles to probe initial interest confusion, surname defenses, and the ACPA; exact internal Nissan Motor strategy and negotiations beyond public filings are not detailed in available reporting, and available sources do not mention private settlement offers beyond what the parties publicly said ^{[2] [15]}.

Limitations and sourcing note: All factual assertions above are drawn from the provided reporting and court summaries; where material (for example, precise internal negotiation terms or undisclosed offers) is not covered in these sources, I state that it is not found in current reporting ^{[2] [8]}.