[FYI] WIPO: ANTI-CYBERSQUATTING PROCEDURE TAKES OFF

["Axel H Horns" <horns@t-online.de>]

http://www.wipo.int/eng/pressrel/2000/p207.htm
 
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Press Release PR/2000/207  

Geneva, February 22, 2000  

ANTI-CYBERSQUATTING PROCEDURE TAKES OFF  

A total of 89 cases have so far been filed with the World 
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation 
Center since a procedure to deal with abusive registrations of domain 
names on the Internet took effect in December 1999. The procedure 
requires that each case is resolved within a 45-day period. Several 
decisions have been issued already, all requiring transfer of the 
domain name to the complainant. The first decisions involved the 
following complainants: the World Wrestling Federation, Stella D’oro 
Biscuit Co (an affiliate of Nabisco) and the Australian 
telecommunications giant Telstra (all decisions are published on the 
Center’s website: 
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/index.html).  

Director of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and WIPO 
Assistant Director General, Mr. Francis Gurry, said "The rate of 
increase in case filings reflects growing confidence in the market 
both in the new procedure as an effective means of dealing with 
cybersquatting and in WIPO's administration of the procedure in an 
efficient and balanced manner."  

The cases are being filed under the new Uniform Domain Name Dispute 
Resolution Policy applicable to generic top-level domains (.com, .net 
and .org) adopted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and 
Numbers (ICANN) on August 26, 1999. The ICANN policy establishes a 
uniform and mandatory administrative dispute-resolution system to 
address cases of bad faith, abusive registrations, also known as 
"cybersquatting." Using this system, panels of one or three experts, 
appointed by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, apply 
streamlined, 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. If the losing party fails to 
challenge the decision in a competent court, the registrar is bound 
to implement the panel’s decisions after a ten-day waiting period.  

Once a case is filed with the Center, the domain in dispute is posted 
on the website (http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/pending/index.html).  

The disputed names include: dior.org, easyjet.net, sgs.net, 
worldcup2002.com, jpmorgan.org, euro-tunnel.com, smartpaq.com, 
toefl.com, tata.org, bbcdelondres.com, microsoft.org, guerlain.net, 
adobeacrobat.com, dodialfayed.com, talkabout.com and 
alaskaairlines.org.  

The geographical spread of complainants and respondents is wide. The 
complainants are based in 16 countries, namely: Australia (2), 
Bahamas (1), Canada (1), China (1), France (5), Germany (2), 
Hungary(1), India (3), Japan (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (1), 
South Africa (1), Spain (3), Switzerland (3), UK (9), USA (54). The 
respondents are based in 24 countries, namely: Antigua (1), Australia 
(3), Belgium (1), Canada (4), China (2), France (1), Hungary (1), 
India (2), Iran (1), Israel (1), Mexico (1), New Zealand (2), Panama 
(1), Philippines (1), Qatar (1), Republic of Korea (3), Slovenia (1), 
Spain (3), Sweden (1) Turkey (1), United Arab Emirates (1), UK (3), 
USA (52) and Venezuela (1). In all, 30 countries are involved. The 
Arbitration and Mediation Center provides facilities in English, 
French and Spanish.  

The Center is receiving several cases daily. Sixty cases were filed 
in February 2000, 28 in January 2000 and one in December 1999. The 
Center's website is regularly updated with information on the latest 
cases received (http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/pending/index.html).  

For further details, please contact the Media Relations & Public 
Affairs Section at WIPO:

     Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 or 338 95 47 
     Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10 
     E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int

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