Cybersquatting, the UDRP, ACPA, and Gripe Sites

Scope

• Use this page to list sources related to issues of trademark infringement online, particularly cybersquatting, the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, and gripe sites. Online trademark issues related to Pop-up and Keyword Advertising including Google AdWords cases have their own page.

News / Editorial

• Cyrus Farivar, Defenders of The Oatmeal create parody websites to pick up the fight, Ars Technica (Jun. 26, 2012).
• Robin Wauters, Pop Quiz: Who Requested Facebook Stats Portal Facebakers To Change Its Name?, TechCrunch (Dec 1, 2010).
• Eric Goldman, Wildcarding Subdomains Is OK; Reverse Domain Name Hijacking Isn't--Goforit v. Digimedia, Technology & Marketing Law Blog (Nov 23, 2010).
• US Patent and Trademark Office Facebook has 'FACE' trademark (!) (Nov. 23, 2010).
• BBC News Google scotches Australian 'Groggle' search, BBC (Nov. 10, 2010)
• Robin Wauters, Lamebook Sues Facebook Over Trademark Infringement. Wait, What?, TechCrunch (Nov. 5, 2010).
• MHB Is Comcast a Cybersquatter? A Lawsuit Says Yes: The Case of Fancast.com, The Domains (Oct. 27, 2010)
• Christine Mumford, Cybersquatting: Gripe Site Using Trademark But Containing No More Than Criticism Is Not Cybersquatted , Electronic Commerce & Law Report (Mar. 10, 2010).
• Eric Goldman, Utah Legislator Introduces State Anti-Cybersquatting Proposal, E-Commerce and Tech Law Blog (Jan. 19, 2010).
• Jacqui Cheng, Gripe site prevails in domain cybersquatting case , Ars Technica (Mar. 3, 2009).
• Daniel Pruzin, In Largest-Ever Domain Name Ruling,WIPO Arbitrator Transfers 1,519 Names, Electronic Commerce & Law Report (Feb. 4, 2010).
• Daniel Pruzin, WIPO Official Outlines New Fast Track Procedure for Settling Domain Name Disputes, Electronic Commerce & Law Report (Nov. 18, 2009).
• Peter S. Lubin and Vincent L. DiTommaso, New Jersey Man Sued and Criminally Charged for Alleged Theft of Domain Name, Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog (Nov. 18, 2009).
• Slashdot, FreeCreditReport.com Wins 1,017 Domains By UDRP, Slashdot (Nov. 13, 2009).
• Shari Claire Lewis, Businesses Tackle Consumer 'Gripe' Sites, Law.com (Nov. 9, 2009).
• Nate Anderson, Glenn Beck loses domain dispute, still ends up with domain, Ars Technica (Nov. 9, 2009).
• Howard Beck, Bosh’s Win Over Cybersquatter Frees 800 Domain Names, NYTimes (Oct. 14, 2009)
• Scott M. Fulton III, Opponents of ICANN plan fear expedited domain takedowns, Betanews (Oct. 2, 2009).
• Michael Masnick, Glenn Beck Didn't Rape And Murder Anyone... But He Doesn't Want Websites Discussing It, Techdirt (Sep. 8, 2009).
• Chris Foresman, Accused domain thief faces jail time for "stealing" P2P.com, Ars Technica (Aug. 3, 2009).
• Tresa Baldas, 'Dot-cm': A New Target for Cybersquatters, Law.com (Jul. 23, 2009).
• AP, Cardinals' La Russa drops suit against Twitter, San Francisco Chronicle (Jul. 7, 2009).
• Reuters, Jay Leno wins cybersquatting case, Reuters (Jul. 2, 2009).
• Martin Samson, The Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act: Key Information, Internet Library of Law and Court Decisions (Sep. 12, 2005).

Legal Briefs / Opinions / Statutes

• DSPT International v. Nahum, No. 08-5506 (9th Cir.; Oct. 27, 2010) (Web consultant that holds on to a domain name due to business dispute can be cybersquatting).
• Career Agents Network Inc. v. careeragentsnetwork.biz, No. 09-12269 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 26, 2010) (Defendant's registration and use of a domain name incorporating Plaintiff's mark to provide critical commentary were non-commercial, First amendment-protected uses of Plaintiff's mark).
• Levinson Axelrod, PA v. Heyburn, No. 09-5627 (D. N.J. Jan. 13, 2010) (presuming irreparable harm in a case alleging trademark infringement and granting a preliminary injunction where former Levinson Axelrod attorney registered and used levinsonaxelrod.net to air grievances).
• Cintas Corp. v. Unite Here, No. 09-1287 (2d Cir. Dec. 8, 2009) (summary affirmance of district court order dismissing complaint regarding use of cintasexposed.com by unions).
• Monex Deposit Co. v. Gilliam, No. 09-287, 2009 WL 4456564 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 3, 2009) (ACPA defendant that registered monexfraud.com denied summary judgment even where Monex, registrant of monex.com, has no registered trademark but submitted a declaration indicating that no other entity is using the "Monex" mark to designate services related to trading in precious metals or lending funds for the purchase of precious metals and where defendant submitted no evidence of lack of confusion between the two domains).
• Lahoti v. Vericheck, Inc., No. 08-35001 (9th Cir. Nov. 16, 2009) (district court's finding 'VeriCheck' mark suggestive vacated and remanded for court to consider whether it is merely descriptive, but cybersquatter's use of mark exhibited bad faith intent to profit under ACPA and thus he is not entitled to ACPA's safe harbor).
• Mercury Radio Arts, Inc. and Glenn Beck v. Isaac Eiland-Hall, WIPO Administrative Panel Decision (Oct. 29, 2009) ('glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com' is not confusingly similar to the trademark 'Glenn Beck' and is a noncommercial fair use; Glenn Beck is denied the rights to the domain).
• Verizon California Inc. v. OnlineNIC, Inc., No. 08-02832 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 25, 2009) ($33.15 million ACPA default judgment, comprised of $50,000 in statutory damages per domain, was justified, did not violate substantive due process rights, and Defendant was not entitled to jury trial on damages).
• Southern Grouts & Mortars, Inc. v. 3M Co., No. 08-15850, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 16600, 2009 WL 2182605 (11th Cir. Jul. 23, 2009) (renewal of unused domain name is not proof of bad faith intent to profit under ACPA).
• Solid Host, NL v. NameCheap, Inc., No. 08-05414 (C.D. Cal. May 19, 2009) (domain registrar is denied safe harbor by offering 'WhoIsGuard' privacy service, owning and leasing domain name).
• Texas Int'l Property Assoc. v. Hoerbiger Holding AG, No. 07-2099, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40409 (N.D. Tex. May 12, 2009) (surname used as domain name is still trademark, no offer to sell domain still can be bad faith if used commercially).
• Miranda v. Guerrero, No. 08-22326, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40898, 2009 WL 1381250 (S.D. Fla. May 5, 2009).
• The Southern Co. v. Dauben Inc. No. 08-10248, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 7993, 2009 WL 1011183 (5th Cir. Apr. 15, 2009) (typosquatting, 5th circuit remanded based on 'fair use' consideration and finding of 'irreperable harm').
• Kiva Kitchen & Bath Inc. v. Capital Distrib. Inc., 2009 WL 890591 (5th Cir. Apr. 2, 2009).
• Cintas Corp. v. Unite Here, 2009 WL 604099 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 9, 2009).
• Philbrick v. eNom, Inc., 2009 WL 152127 (D.N.H. Jan. 22, 2009).

Scholarship

• Catherine T. Struve and R. Polk Wagner, Realspace Sovereigns in Cyberspace: Problems with the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, 17 Berkeley Tech. L.J. 989 (2002).