Domain fraud tricks: reverse domain hijacking
In a mockery to the the ITAA’s bullshit event last week, I present to you reverse domain hijacking.
What is it? Reverse domain name hijacking is when a trademark owner fraudulantly claims a trademark interest with a Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy with WIPO. If the domain owner fails to make a case, there is a good chance the complaintant gets the domain name.
Italian tire company, Pirelli, has decided it would really like to own the domain name zero.us. Problem is, someone else already owns it. Pirelli has filed a claim stating — “In view of these circumstances, there is no reasonable possibility that the domain name was selected by (the) respondent for any purpose other than a brazen attempt to create a likelihood of confusion with (the) complainant’s mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of respondent’s Web site.”
Hmm.. generic word, zero. Website present has nothing to do with tires. Good thing the owner has an experienced domain lawyer on his side.
I remember when a company used a dubious trademark to get science.info during the sunrise period. We thought that was bad, now companies are actively stealing domains… Good luck to the owner of zero.us
Comment by Sean Spurr — May 1, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Dell did the same thing back a few years to a guy with DellWebSites or something. I looked it up a while back and it appears he is still up and running (and still accepting donations for “help”… hmmm). So I don’t know any more details.
Anyway, the point is the big boys have been pushing their weight around like sumo wrestlers for years. The thing I love about the internet is that we can get lots of users involved (social/viral) and create huge media events to fight against crap like this without even paying for it. Fight the power!
Comment by Jonathan Franzone — May 8, 2007 @ 10:17 pm