The United Nations says disputes over cyber squatting have soared, with trademark holders filing 2,696 cases last year over domains they argued were established in bad faith to exploit their trademark’s goodwill.
Defining cybersquatting as the ‘abusive registration of trademarks as domain names’, the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) says retail, banking and finance, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, internet and IT and fashion are the top five areas of complainant activity.
There was a 28% increase in complainant numbers last year, WIPO says, versus a 16% rise the previous year.
Australia was not immune, ITNews reported, with WIPO receiving 120 .au cybersquatting complaints since 1999, and more than 50 complaints between 2008 and 2010.
Most cases were awarded in the complainants’ favour.
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