Country names

[Theo]

I'm curious to know about any WIPO cases where official country names (not cities, towns etc.) were challenged in a UDRP and if there are any successful awards of that domain to the government of the respective country.

 

[jasdon11]

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2002/dbiz2002-00270.html

Wasn't contested though.

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2002/d2002-0754.html

This one they didn't win - also proven was reverse domain hijacking!

 

[Gerry]

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2002/dbiz2002-00270.html

Wasn't contested though.

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2002/d2002-0754.html

This one they didn't win - also proven was reverse domain hijacking!

Interesting cases.

I have heard that the United Arab Emerates consider all domains referring to their contingent their property (stuff like UAE, etc).

 

[Theo]

Thanks James. Don't mess with HRM The Queen

 

[jasdon11]

Thanks James. Don't mess with HRM The Queen

Unless you're Greek (Prince Philip)

 

[Theo]

Unless you're Greek (Prince Philip)

Or Michelle Obama and her famous hug

 

[marcorandazza]

Generally speaking, I can't see how a country name could ever be the proper subject of a UDRP loss. Even the uncontested one seems wrong to me.

 

[fab]

Her Majesty reverse hijacks, uh oh!

 

[Sonny Banks]

Italia.it (Italy)

http://www.who.is/whois/italia.it/

 

[katherine]

When all the restrictions on .be were lifted the Belgian State forgot to reserve belgique.be & belgie.be, they only had belgium.be. I think it took them some time to get the names back from a Dutch company through dispute resolution...
Switzerland has experienced something very similar.

I think geodomains are risky when you happen to own the country name in its own TLD... in gTLDs like .com it's another story - gTLDs are no man's land namespace.

 

[cleverlyslick]

I haven't read the links yet. Is this for their extensions only or all extensions .coms, .net, etc...

 

[marcorandazza]

I haven't read the links yet. Is this for their extensions only or all extensions .coms, .net, etc...

I'm only referring to gTLDs. Country codes are governed by different rules.