Eleven multinationals win cybersquatting case

Eleven multinational companies recently won a domain name case in the Beijing Second Intermediate Court against two Chinese cybersquatters. The case involved domain names belonging to companies that included KFC, Boss, UPS, Loreal, Dow and Subway.

The court ordered the two defendants, Yuejing Information Network and Beijing Guowang Information, to de-register the domain names, make a public apology and pay damages. As the decision was made at the intermediate court level, the defendants can appeal to Beijing's higher court.

The court failed to recognize the names as well-known trademarks, as hoped for by the multinational companies.

Jon Eichelberger, Perkins Cole LLP, Beijing