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Domains & domain names

Work Area: Domains & domain names

ICANN and trademarks: the last 12 months and what to expect in 2023

Taft’s Paul McGrady reflects on recent efforts at ICANN to address issues related to trademark rights, online abuse, WHOIS access and the next round of new gTLDs.

“No justification”: study pushes back on proposals for EU GI domain name alert system

Study finds few domain disputes over GIs in the EU, CCTLD operators concerned about burden of proposed system.

Indonesia’s Domain Name Dispute Resolution Forum: an update

This update reviews cases handled by the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Forum and procedural developments in practice.

Latest content

CIRA partners with ScamAdviser to combat fraudulent sites

The Canadian domain name registry has recently announced a partnership with ScamAdviser aimed at strengthening its anti-fraud capabilities.

05 November 2021

“Disgusting fraud” – USPTO targets Trademark Terminal operator Abtach with scathing show-cause order

In one of the biggest anti-fraud crackdowns in its history, the USPTO has issued a show-cause order to Pakistan-based company Abtach Ltd.

04 November 2021

Civil IP courts grant full protection to genuine rights holder against bad-faith registrant

The Turkish IP courts prioritised the legitimate rights of a foreign e-commerce platform over a local bad-faith registrant.

04 November 2021

“We need to move on this”: Senate committee hearing widens discussion on platform counterfeiting responsibilities

At the annual meeting of ASOP Global, calls were made for social media companies and e-commerce platforms to be compelled to do more to fight illicit trade. Shortly after, a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing explored just that.

03 November 2021

Inside the battle against illegal online pharmacies: interview with ASOP Global

WTR sits down with Libby Baney from the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies to get the inside track on their efforts to combat illegal online drug sales.

28 October 2021

General Court confirms that BLOCKCHAIN ISLAND lacks distinctive character

The General Court found that the relevant public would perceive the mark as a promotional reference to the status of an island as a hub for blockchain technology.

28 October 2021

Transferring a parody domain name? Never ever!

Merely showing that a domain name is used to heavily criticise a trademark holder will often not be sufficient under the UDRP - as demonstrated by this decision involving the domain name ‘nevereverfx.com’.

26 October 2021

Reverse domain name hijacking: a very public risk, and how to minimise it

How reverse domain name hijacking can amount to a public shaming for complainants and their advisors, and tips to avoid it.

25 October 2021

Covid and counterfeits: how brand owners are fighting back against pandemic opportunists

In an exclusive guest post, experts at Gowling look at how brand owners have tackled a significant rise in counterfeit goods during the covid-19 pandemic.

21 October 2021

Unearthed truth: lack of evidence from complainant means success for respondent

This UDRP decision shows that, to prove bad faith, it is crucial for complainants to establish the existence of their trademarks or their reputation at the time the disputed domain name was registered - rather than when commercial use was being made of the domain name.

19 October 2021

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