I saw that a UDRP was filed on the Match.Paris domain name at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). When I saw this UDRP on the main WIPO filing page, my first thought was that Match.com, the dating website, filed the UDRP. The UDRP was actually filed by Hachette Filipacchi Presse, a publishing company in France.
Hachette Filipacchi Presse is the publisher of a weekly news magazine called Paris Match. If you have ever been to Paris, you are probably familiar with this publication, which is sold on newsstands throughout the city and possibly the world.
As of right now, Match.Paris does not resolve for me. I am unsure if the domain name ever resolved. Match.Paris was registered in December of 2014 by a registrant that has an address in France.
Even for people who do not follow the new gTLD domain names, this is going to be an interesting UDRP case. “Match” is a very common word with multiple meanings. In addition, there are a variety of brands that utilize the “match” keyword in its branding, including the following:
- Match.com
- Paris Match
- Match Clothing
- Match Game
- Match supermarket
- Match magazine
With this many brands using the “match” keyword as well as the fact that the domain name does not appear to be used, it seems like it could be difficult to prove bad faith. The domain extension will likely come into play, but it still could be a stretch to prove bad faith since the domain name isn’t really being used right now that I see.
I’ll keep my eye on this UDRP because there could potentially be implications for other keyword new gTLD domain names that use common keywords, although one UDRP ruling doesn’t make caselaw.
Elliot, we are not lawyers but with our experience in this industry, I don’t see Hachette Filipacchi Presse winning this UDRP. Match is a generic name and can only be trademarked if it is arbitrary in the context of its use.