Nissan is an automaker that uses NissanUSA.com for its website here in the US. The reason it uses an off-brand domain name is because it lost a very long legal battle to try and wrest control of Nissan.com. That domain name had long been owned by a man named Uzi Nissan, who had it for his business. You can read about the legal battle on Wikipedia. Mr. Nissan passed away in 2022.
It looks like Nissan is now trying to take control of another Nissan domain name. This time, the company has its sights set on Nissan.ai, and it is using the UDRP process. As you know, .AI is the ccTLD extension for the country of Anguilla, and it has become popular with the advancements in artificial intelligence and the venture funding devoted to AI-related companies.
It looks like Nissan.ai was registered in July of 2020. The domain name is registered under Whois privacy, so it is unclear who owns the domain name. For what it is worth, many domain names registered at GoDaddy have Whois privacy enabled by default. When I checked to see how it is being used, the domain name did not resolve to a website.
Nissan filed the dispute at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The case is WIPO Case DAI2024-0032.
I hope they lose. Unless the owner is trying to use it as something car related then I personally don’t think they should have a claim. I feel these big companies are becoming bullies. If they wanted it, they should have bought it early. Now that .ai is hot they’re trying to take the easy way out.
WHOIS Privacy is a cfeath wish for this kind of UDRP. I do NOT use it.
If the guy responds – just provide a birth certificate wityh Nissan on it ?
Bri
Any difference with “Big fish eats small fish?
Anyhow, when buying domains, you have to be careful. I’m surprised at how many domains are sold that infringe on registered trademarks.
The domain registrant did not respond to the UDRP and the panelist ruled in favor of the car company. Nissan.ai is going to be transferred.
The decision can be found here: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/pdf/2024/dai2024-0032.pdf