I was looking through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) website this afternoon, and I found what look to be two troubling UDRP filings. WIPO Case D2015-1469 is a UDRP for the three letter IEC.com domain name. WIPO Case D2015-1470 is a UDRP for the two letter WI.com domain name. Both of these domain names are clearly high value assets.
The registrant for IEC.com is listed as IEC Communications Ltd. The domain name has an under construction message at the top of the landing page with PPC links below. The complainant in this case is listed as IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission.
The registrant for WI.com is Media Options, a high end domain investment and brokerage firm that has sold millions of dollars worth of domain names. WI.com currently resolves to a Media Options landing page. The complainant in this UDRP is listed as Brian Fera. I believe this is the first UDRP filing against a domain name owned by Media Options.
It is unfortunate to see these two high value domain names subject to a UDRP proceeding. The domain owners are going to be forced to spend money on legal fees defending their right to own domain names like these. I will be keeping my eye on these two UDRP cases.
Updates:
The WI.com UDRP complaint was denied.
The IEC.com UDRP complaint was denied.
Filing a UDRP has become the new patent squatting, where someone files an extremely vague patent and sues a company for financial gain. I’m sure they will attach RDNH to these cases, and hopefully the find in favor of the respondents. There NEEDS to be be stiffer penalties for RDNH besides the ones that exist today.
http://www.fera.de/de/wicom
Dr. Fera cannot win his UDRP because his trademark is WICOM, not WI. The trademark term has to be in full left of the dot. Having a trademark across the dot does not count. It’s a shame that Andrew has been victimized by Dr. Fera and his misplaced since of entitlement to a domain name for which he holds no trademark rights.
Not disagreeing on likely outcome, but the statement “The trademark term has to be in full left of the dot.” is false.
Reminds me how elequa lost LH.com in UDRP for Lufthansa
Unfair reverse hijackers
He did lose the UDRP but went to court: https://www.domaininvesting.com/lhcom-is-back-online/
So he won the lawsuit then Lufthansa bought it from him? As lh.com working as Lufthansa website for many years now
Not sure about the details. My guess would be some sort of settlement because I did not ever hear about a lawsuit decision. I don’t know though.
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/05/01/how-to-save-udrp-from-bad-panel-decisions/
Unless more domain owners sue for damages when these UDRP thefts are attempted this will keep happening