Hershey Goes After Cybersquatter

The Hershey Chocolate & Confectionery Corporation recovered the domain name www.hersheybaking.com from a cybersquatter. The cybersquatting panel found that Hershey had strong rights in its registered trademark HERSHEY. The panel further found that the addition of the generic term baking did nothing to lessen those rights. Finally, the panel found that the domain name had been used in bad faith where it resolved to a website containing advertisements for Hershey’s competitors. Accordingly, the panel found that the domain name was cybersquatted.

For more news and information on cybersquatting, see Cybersquatting.com.

Degree Cybersquatting Claim Denied

EducationDynamics, LLC recently lost a cybersquatting claim to recover the domain name www.earn-your-degree.com. The cybersquatting panel found that a respondent has a right to register and use a domain name to attract Internet traffic based on the appeal of a commonly used descriptive phrase, even where the domain name is confusingly similar to the registered mark of the complainant. The panel went on to find that the respondent had provided a reasonable explanation for the registration of the domain name. Accordingly, no cybersquatting was found.

For more news and information on cybersquatting, see Cybersquatting.com

Hard Rock Rocks Cybersquatter

Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc. recently succeeded in recovering several cybersquatted domain names, including: www.hardrockcafelasvegas.net, www.hardrockcasinobiloxi.net, www.hardrockcasinotampa.net, and www.hardrockhotelandcasino.org.  The panel found that all of these domain names had been cybersquqatted where they contained the complainant’s HARD ROCK trademark.  Moreover, the panel found that the respondent used the confusion caused by the similarity of the HARD ROCK mark and the disputed domain names to divert users from the complainant’s website to the respondent’s gambling website.  Thus the panel ordered the transfer of the cybersquatted domains.

For more news and information on cybersquatting, see Cybersquatting.com

American Girl Sues Cybersquatter

A UDRP panel recently ordered the transfer of the domain name www.americangirlbrand.com to American Girl, LLC. The panel found that the acclaimed doll maker had long-standing and established rights int he AMERICAN GIRL trademark. The panel further found that the domain name registrant had no legitimate rights in the mark, and that the domain name was confusingly similar to the AMERICAN GIRL trademark. Finally, the panel found that the registrant had used the domain name in bad faith by engaging in the unauthorized sale of American Girl’s products by diverting Internet users to a competitive website

For more cybersequatting news and information see Cybersquatting.com

Google v. Meyer

Google recently succeeded in a cybersquatting action to recover the domain name www.googlegameroom.com. The panel found that the respondent had violated the relevant cybersquatting laws because the domain name was confusingly similar to the GOOGLE mark where the mark covered a range of services. The panel also found bad faith by the respondent when he had used the domain name to offer users adult-oriented games and videos.

For More Information and News on Cybersquatting, see Cybersquatting.com.

Roche Products v. Corea

A cybersquatting law panel recently ordered the transfer of the domain name www.buyvalium.us to Roch Products, Inc. Roche claimed that the domain name was cybersquatted because it infringed on its registered VALIUM trademark. The cybersquatting law panel agreed. The panel also agreed that the registrant had used the domain name in bad faith when it had used it to operate a website in direct competition with Roche Products, namely to sell Valium.

For more cybersquatting news and information, check out Cybersquatting.com.

Peaches Loses

A UDRP panel recently denied a cybersquatting claim over the domain www.peaches.com. The complainant argued that it had a registered trademark for use in connection with uniforms, and that a cybersquatter had unlawfully registered the domain name. The panel found that no cybersquatting had occurred, where the alleged cybersquatter had registered the domain name years before the complainant had first used its PEACHES mark. Accordingly, the panel denied the cybersquatting claim.

For More News and Information on Cybersquatting Check Out Cybersquatting.com.

Publix Asset Management v. Purdy

A cybersquatting panel recently ordered the transfer of the domain names <greenwisesupermarket.com>, <greenwisesupermarket.net>, <greenwisesupermarket.info>, and <greenwisesupermarket.mobi>and to the Publix Asset Management Company. The panel found that the domain names were confusingly similar to to the complainant’s registered GREEENWISE trademark, which it uses in connection with grocery stores. The panel also found bad faith use of the domain name when the respondent had used the domains to link to websites that contained links for competitive third-party websites.

For more information on cybersquatting, see Cybersquatting.com: a great source for cybersquatting news and analysis.

In a recent cybersquatting action, the domain names www.sexandthecityworkout.com and www.skinnbysaturday.com were awarded to Time Warner.  Time Warner owns both the widely known marks, SEX AND THE CITY and SKINNY BY SATURDAY, which were found to be confusingly similar to the domain names in question.  Respondent Fit Happens featured links to third-party websites on the disputed domain, earning click-through fees by diverting Internet users.  The UDRP panel found the domains to be used in bad faith and settled the lawsuit by transferring the domain to Time Warner.

For More Information About Cybersquatting, See Cybersquatting.com:  A Great Informational Resource About Cybersquatting.

Welcome To The Cyberlaw Blog

Weclecome to the CyberLaw Blog: Your resource for cybersquatting law updates and other internet legal issues.