RK Netmedia, Inc. represented by Randazza Legal Group, brought an UDRP for the domain name MilfHunters.com The domain holder beat back the challenge despite a trademark and use of the domain in a competitive manner to the trademark holder. More importantly there is some very good langage in the opinion for domain holders in general. Here are the facts: The Complainant has a United … [Read more...]
Sedo.com Sued For $10 Million Dollars Over Failed Women.com Purchase
According to a press release issued today: "DONE Ventures, LLC has added domain name broker, Sedo, LLC, to its lawsuit over the domain names Women.com and Women.net." Sedo is a business unit of Sedo Holding AG (XETRA: SDO.DE ), headquartered in Cologne, Germany, with US operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Sedo.com is tracked by our DomainStock Index) The complaint, filed in … [Read more...]
How About Trademark Squatting? Disney Files Trademarks on “Seal Team 6”
According to a story in mediabistro.com, two days after Seal Team 6 killed Osama bin Laden, Disney applied for a trademark on the term "Seal Team 6"in several classes to cover clothing, toys, games, video games, entertainment and education services. Of course if a domainer registers a domain after an event they are called cybersqautters and worse. In the US trademarks are suppose to be … [Read more...]
Government Domain Seizures Are Out of Protect IP Bill, But Search Engines, ISP’s & Payment Processors Are On The Clock
The PROTECT IP 2011 bill is out in draft form, which is this year version of last year's Leahy Bill entitled Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) This proposed bill is different than the COICA in that it no longer includes the ability to go to domain registries and registrars and require them to remove domains or hand them over to the government but replaces it with a … [Read more...]
You Think Discount Liquor Is Too Generic To Get Trademark Protection? Tell That To The 3 Stores That Had To Change Names
While we typically spend our time chatting about online trademark issues, I couldn't help but notice a case involving brick and mortar liquor stores which were made to change their name based off a state trademark on the term "Discount Liquor" Make that three liquor stores that were made to change there name because one company has a trademark on the term "Discount Liquor". The owner of … [Read more...]
From House Hearing; ICANN: Domainers Are Against New gTLD’s Because They Will Lose The Value Of There Beachfront Property
The House subcommittee on the new gTLD's just ended in Washington and it was as bloody as expected. Of course the representative from ICANN, Kurt Pritz its Senior Vice President, didn't help himself or ICANN but making inaccurate statements, failing to explain the new gTLD process properly or putting the new gTLD process in a positive light. IP trademark interests dominated the hearing not … [Read more...]
Industry Leaders Send An Open Letter To The House Subcommittee on IP Regarding Today’s Hearing & Why I Signed It
Today some industry leaders submitted an open letter to the United States House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and the Internet regarding the Oversight Hearing on new Top-Level Domains to be held on today, Wednesday 4 May. As you will note I signed the Letter. Actually somehow I wound up as the first signature on the letter, although its not alphabetical. I signed the letter … [Read more...]