LH.com Lost !

[Pred]

Reverse hijacking is on the increase guys.
LH.com has just been lost by elequa.

Feel bad for him as this is a terrible decision by wipo imho and it raises questions about their integrity and conduct imo

More Here

 

[-REECE-]

As would I

Someone has to teach these POS they can't just treat us like dirt, screw us out of the domains we legitimately own, and label us cybersquatters...

me too, and he actually has the dosh to take on Lufthansa too.
love to see them get their arse kicked, also for the panellists to get a boot up the arse as well

 

[michaeldotcom]

What's interesting is that, if you check on WIPO, there are actually quite a few companies who have trademarked "LH" worldwide, including the Swiss luxury jeweler Leon Hatot (part of the huge Swatch Group).

How can Lufthansa call this cybersquatting when other companies have trademarked this very same abbreviation too ?

 

[bricio]

Someone has to teach these POS they can't just treat us like dirt, screw us out of the domains we legitimately own, and label us cybersquatters...

they treat us like dirt because they see us like that

people out there dont know domainers, they know big companies and when they do wrong things they are in the news and of course this gives us all a bad reputationse those who lead this industry should be have the

those who are the most influent here should conduct their business fairly but sometimes it doesnt happen, so those out there know us cybersquatters

 

[accent]

Fortunately Elequa has the funds to fight this in Federal court and hopefully will win there. He had already brought suit before the UDRP decision, perhaps an indication that he expected the ruling. He may have smelled a rat.

The question is what can be done about an out-of-control WIPO agency? It is the same issue as the Snowe bill - the potential of a daisy chain of companies each hijacking a domain from the previous owner.

There need not be foul play in this decision, ignorance and dislike of domainers would suffice. Many view all domaining as "cybersquating" and parked pages as the internet equivalent of litter.

The best defense may be to not hold valuable domains unless you have a trademark and are using them.

 

[StoneRoses]

The best defense may be to not hold valuable domains unless you have a trademark and are using them.

Then they would have got what they wanted and would have won.

Domaining is perfectly legal and it's about time we were stopped being treated like social lepors.

 

[bmugford]

This is a load of crap. It is unfortunate the domain was lost, however I think the court battle is exactly what is needed to end this crap once and for all.

I think in these kind of cases, even if the ruling goes against the domain owner, the winner should still be forced to pay fair market value like with eminent domain.

This is just a wholesale theft of a $1M+ domain.

 

[michaeldotcom]

The panel found that FMA did not have any legitimate rights in the mark. If Leon Hatot owned it, the complaint would not have succeeded.

Very true indeed.

I guess the best thing to do for LL.com (or possibly even LLL.com) owners is to trademark these domains, don't you think so ?

It's too expensive and useless to trademark every single domain, but I think it's something to consider seriously for very valuable domains, especially two or three letter ones which are almost always abbreviations of company names (which means a very high risk of trademark dispute).

 

[-REECE-]

I hate to sound paranoid, but with how fast generics and short domains are rising in value, how much longer can we expect it to be before we start seeing corporations attempting to bribe panelists?

 

[Pred]

I hate to sound paranoid, but with how fast generics and short domains are rising in value, how much longer can we expect it to be before we start seeing corporations attempting to bribe panelists?

i'm sure most will say it has happened before
think how connected politicians and heads of industry are?
decisions made in houses of parliament in UK all the time where Lords are directors in companies and all know each other etc
sure same goes on here

 

[kev]

Wow! this is simply disgraceful

This is the equivalent of someone stealing $1,000,000 off of someone.

One of the worst decisions WIPO has ever made.

 

[michaeldotcom]

This is the equivalent of someone stealing $1,000,000 off of someone.

The fact is that if you own a $1 million house, car, diamond or painting, you can't afford not to have it insured.

And if you own a $1 million domain, you can no longer afford not to have it trademarked, especially if it's a LL.com which is an abbreviation of many big corporations with large legal departments.

 

[PowerUp]

I think it's time for a sticky thread on "How to prevent domain theft (including reverse hijacking)."

Also, another sticky thread on "How to filter genuine buyers/sellers from scammers".

 

[james2002]

Wow! this is simply disgraceful

This is the equivalent of someone stealing $1,000,000 off of someone.

One of the worst decisions WIPO has ever made.

Absolutely. Why not they buy from the owner by paying the right price? It is just a kind of robbing or stealing.

 

[Mike]

In this case it has hit someone that can potentially afford to go for a lawsuit and end this disaster caused by an uneducated, unreasonable and simply false decision. My problem is more along the lines of; what happens when it hits any of us? The ones that have enough to collect domains, but cannot afford a 6-digit lawsuit to defend what's rightfully ours? The unfortunate downside of the story is that even within our own circles, WIPO one should believe understands the domainers motivation to collect, we are not being considered equal or even being treated with respect. It's yet another sad day in the domaining world.

Safety net is development? It's probably the safest way to use a domain, at the same time, with decision like the LH.com one, even development might be reduced to a joke.

M.

 

[briman1970]

This just goes to show that parking ANY considerably valuable domain is a bad idea. I think Elequa's past UDRP's and not putting his lawsuit on the table really did him in. I sincerely hope he makes "LH" and WIPO bleed for this disgusting travesty of justice.

 

[-REECE-]

It's utterly ridiculous.

I'd like to see stealing someone's physical property for "not putting it to legitimate use" stand up in a U.S. court...

This just goes to show that parking ANY considerably valuable domain is a bad idea. I think Elequa's past UDRP's and not putting his lawsuit on the table really did him in. I sincerely hope he makes "LH" and WIPO bleed for this disgusting travesty of justice.

 

[domi]

What is the point of being in this business if you can get wiped out at anytime​

But seriously.. If your offered $1Million for a domain take it :wave:
The internet is created for people to use,create,educate.... These extentions were created for that reason not to store away and keep it as a collectable because your greedy...

Use it or loose it!​

 

[-REECE-]

Thanks Mark!

Wiposucks.net is mine -- gonna make getting this developed a top priority :D

wiposucks.com Taken

wiposucks.net available

wiposucks.org available

wiposucks.info available

wiposucks.me available

 

[Alex]

Elequa took it to the court already.

What is very funny is that a German company (Lufthansa) fights for a domain owned by a Virgin Islands resident in the USA.

Elequa has his own registrar and could have moved it there, but he kept it at Moniker. Wil be interesting to follow the story

 

[Pred]

Thanks Mark!

Wiposucks.net is mine -- gonna make getting this developed a top priority :D

:sold: :sold: :sold:

Original Link for those just joining thread:

LH.com Lost

 

[-REECE-]

I bought an LL.ca recently whose original owner had used the domain for years as an email address. He never tried to sell the domain, he just wanted a short domain for his email and I don't think he had a clue what it was worth... WIPO would consider such use as "not using the domain", yet this guy was using the name -- each and everyday as an email.

What really gives WIPO the right to dictate how we use OUR names? How much money do domainers pay ICANN each year in fees? What do we get for this - more laws + rules to screw us over?

What is the point of being in this business if you can get wiped out at anytime​

But seriously.. If your offered $1Million for a domain take it :wave:
The internet is created for people to use,create,educate.... These extentions were created for that reason not to store away and keep it as a collectable because your greedy...

Use it or loose it!​

 

[Mark]

Host Name : wipo.org IP Address : 193.5.93.80

Host Name : wipo.int IP Address : 193.5.93.80

You know , Several of Those "Numbers" are in my Birthdate and my SS# ... Shall I file a complaint ?



Oh and :

worldintellectualpropertyorganization.com
worldintellectualpropertyorganization.net
worldintellectualpropertyorganization.org
worldintellectualpropertyorganization.info

All available as of this post .....

Shall we Reg and File a complaint on several of the Domains using those initials ?

 

[-REECE-]

There's already people trademarking 1 letter domains in anticipation of their release...

I mean seriously, where does this stop?

Host Name : wipo.org IP Address : 193.5.93.80

Host Name : wipo.int IP Address : 193.5.93.80

You know , Several of Those "Numbers" are in my Birthdate and my SS# ... Shall I file a complaint ?



Oh and :

worldintellectualpropertyorganization.com
worldintellectualpropertyorganization.net
worldintellectualpropertyorganization.org
worldintellectualpropertyorganization.info

All available as of this post .....

Shall we Reg and File a complaint on several of the Domains using those initials ?

 

[Len]

I think there needs to be some sort of compensation attached to a WIPO decision whereby the complainant has to pay fair market value for the domain should they win. This would make a lot of these companies think twice before submitting to WIPO and for those who's domains are taken from them will at least get something. It is, as has been previously stated, far cheaper in most cases for them to WIPO instead of making a fair offer to the current owner.
I know if trademarked then they may be "entitled" to the domain but they should have either reg'd it themselves or be prepared to purchase it from the current owner. The way things are at the moment is just legalised theft IMO.

 

[Charley]

I could see a lawsuit looming over this.

Who would emerge the winner