Trademark hijacking on the internet
Name(s):
E-commerce using counterfeit trademarks
Cybersquatting
Abusive internet registrations
Nature
Trademarks can be registered which approximate very closely to well-known brands and thus delude potential customers into purchases whicher deprive the original owners of revenue.
Incidence
E-commerce using counterfeit trademarks is growing in countries where trademark protection is weak. It has increased considerably, and become increasingly widespread, with recent advances in communications and satellite television.
In February 200 the World Wrestling Federation, Stella D'oro Biscuit Company and the Australian telecommunications giant, Telstra, had their claims of abusive web registrations decided by the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The companies filed their claims under the new WIPO procedure to resolve disputes over cases of bad faith and abusive registrations, also known as 'cybersquatting.' The procedure took effect in December 1999 and is being implemented by WIPO's Arbitration and Mediation Centre, which by Febraury had received a total of 89 cases involving entities in 30 different countries. Under the new system, panels of one to three WIPO-appointed experts apply quick and cost-effective procedures to review claims and eliminate cases of clear abuse of trademark holders' rights, leaving the more complex cases to the courts. To date, the disputed names have included microsoft.org, worldcup2002.com, alaskaairlines.org, and dodialfayed.com. Once a case is filed with the Centre, the domain in dispute is posted on the website.
Aggravated by
Value(s)
Type
(J) Problems under consideration