Paris court decision shows that court proceedings against domain name holder may be useful tool to tackle identity theft

The Paris Court of First Instance has ordered the transfer of a domain name consisting of the name of a person whose identity had been misused, most likely fraudulently. The decision illustrates that court proceedings against a domain name holder may be a very useful tool to tackle identity theft – contrary to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as the UDRP, which often do not allow for the protection of personal names per se.