Author name: fairwindsp

By Steve Levy The reality of the UDRP is that nearly 90% of cases involve no-show Respondents (a “default” case). This is for a number of reasons, the most prevalent of which is that most cases involve abusive domain names and cybersquatters usually consider UDRP losses to be a routine part of their business model. […]

By Steve Levy Before my career took a sharp turn into the world of domain name disputes, I was in-house intellectual property counsel for The Home Depot. My responsibilities included protecting the marquis trademark all over the world and, due to the fame of the mark and its orange square logo, we found ourselves taking

By Steve Levy Not all domain name disputes are suited for resolution through the UDRP. In a July 24, 2024 comment, it was highlighted that other business disputes (contracts, proof of common law trademark rights, prior business relationships, etc.) can place a dispute outside the scope of the UDRP and better suited for resolution through the

By Steve Levy Sports cars have a reputation for speed and so does the UDRP. As a stripped-down version of litigation, a UDRP claim can accomplish in less than three month what would take nearly a year, or possibly even more, through the courts. In 2022, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. won a UDRP case against the domain name

By Tom Wells Introduction In a rapidly expanding digital landscape, the demand for unique and targeted domain extensions is reaching new heights. As the Internet continues to evolve, the role of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in managing domain names has become increasingly pivotal. ICANN’s upcoming round of New gTLDs (Generic

By Alex Zins NetBeacon is a free online domain abuse reporting tool that seeks to simplify the process of submitting reports to domain registrars. Established in 2021 by the Public Interest Registry (PIR), the organization behind .org, the tool allows anyone to log into the platform to submit evidence of abuse. NetBeacon handles the routing

By Tom Wells As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the management and governance of the Domain Name System (DNS) are subject to regulatory updates and modernized standards. Recently, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) implemented significant amendments to its Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) and the Registry Agreement (RA), introducing new obligations

By Steve Levy We’ve all heard of patent trolls and perhaps trademark or copyright trolls but I’ve only ever considered the idea of a UDRP troll in the depths of my dark imagination. That is until now. It seems that bold and almost-clever bad actors have realized that it may be possible to steal a

By Steve Levy It’s not uncommon to pull on a thread and end up with an entire ball of yarn. And so it occasionally happens with domain name enforcement. By doing some careful research, one can sometimes find other domain names that are related to each other and may be owned by the same person

By Steve Levy Back in the mid to late 90s, when use of the internet was just gaining popularity, brand owners started becoming aware of domain names that included trademarks which were being registered by people who had no connection with the company and no license or other authorization to use the marks. Sometimes these

By Steve Levy In UDRP cases there are a few “frequent flyers” – habitual cybersquatters who keep coming back again and again. Successful in monetizing their domain names through pay-per-click links, for-sale offers, or by more nefarious means, they’ve made a living out of impersonating major brands and confusing internet users. Atop of this mountain

By Steve Levy After about 30 years of watching cybersquatting flourish, I’d have thought that most typo domain names had been taken or transferred to their assertive brand owners through enforcement actions. Of course, there are more possible permutations available in the .com top-level domain space alone (587 to be exact) than there are stars in