A UDRP was filed against the FIFA.net domain name at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The UDRP is WIPO Case D2016-2310.
When I saw the UDRP filing, I did a quick search to see how old the domain name is. I was a bit surprised to see a creation date of 2014. Because the domain registrar is Pheenix, I assumed the domain name had been auctioned at the expired domain name auction house. An article on TLDInvestors.com confirms this, and it shows that FIFA.net sold on July 30, 2014 for $6,030.
When I visited FIFA.net this afternoon, the domain name did not resolve. Because the domain name appears to be privately registered, I am not sure who owns the domain name.
If you are a fan of soccer (or football / futbol outside of the United States), you likely thought of the sport’s governing body when you saw FIFA in the domain name. That was my first thought anyway. The UDRP complaint was, in fact, filed by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”). Perhaps interestingly, prior to its expiration and auction in 2014, the domain name was owned by a registrant in South Korea, and I don’t see a connection with it and the soccer/football governing body.
FIFA owns and uses FIFA.com for its website. Based on a historical Whois search at DomainTools, it looks like FIFA might also own FIFA.org, although the domain name is privately registered and it does not resolve to a live website at this time. Back in 2010, FIFA filed a UDRP against FIFA.tv, and it was the prevailing party. FIFA.tv currently forwards to FIFA.com.
I will keep an eye on this UDRP.
Thanks to Jag Singh for finding an archive of the sale.
Update: According to UDRPSearch.com, the UDRP went in favor of the complainant.
That’s to be expected. Famous mark. A Korean owned the domain from 2000-2014 before the domain dropped. Whoever picked it up didn’t do their homework.
FIRST group, probably these guys are clueless, they only know how to keep tapping that bid buttom, they cannot defend it, nice lesson learned.
Fifa is a famous trademark. May be the new owner have parked the domain after purchase to make it easy for fifa to file a udrp
Best is not to bid on trademarks on auctions