Verizon Awarded $31 Million in Cybersquatting Suit

Category: Internet
Posted: December 26, 2008 09:59AM
Author: Nemo

Domain name registry OnlineNIC has been ordered to pay Verizon Communication $31.15 million in a cybersquatting case filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San José. Verizon accused OnlineNIC of registering 663 domain names that were identical or similar to Verizon trademarks. Along with the summary judgment, OnlineNIC must transfer the domain names to Verizon and not register any additional domain names containing Verizon trademarks. OnlineNIC did not contest Verizon's request for a default judgment and the company is not out of the woods yet as they are facing similar suits filed by Microsoft and Yahoo. Microsoft accused the company of registering 97 domain names that contained or were very similar to Microsoft trademarks and has requested a default judgment as well. Yahoo's suit lists over 500 domain names and named OnlineNIC and 10 other defendants in its suit.

663?! Goddamn, that's a lot of domains names! When will people learn you can't just go on buying trademarked domains hoping to turn a quick buck? We've had similar issues in the past with my company...a simple letter to the domain holder stating that we would seek legal ramifications if they didn't transfer the domain name to us resulted in a quick transfer.