news Former France.com domain owner asks Supreme Court to consider case

[NickB]

"Jean-Noël Frydman, who owned France.com from 1994 until 2018, wants the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in."........

https://domainnamewire.com/2021/09/...in-owner-asks-supreme-court-to-consider-case/

2018 Namepros thread below

"France seizes France.com from man who’s had it since ‘94, so he sues"

https://www.namepros.com/threads/fr...-it-since-94-so-he-sues.1078710/#post-6692761

 

[Business Brands]

NewZealand.com was retained, France.com was confiscated.

And they keep telling me there is some type of law.

 

[Kingslayer]

Timing is probably quite bad with AUKUS, France are not happy with America, so don't think they will care too much about what the US supreme court says.

But can a US court order ICANN to transfer the domain back over if previous owner wins the appeal?

 

[NickB]

Timing is probably quite bad with AUSUK, France are not happy with America, so don't think they will care too much about what US supreme court says.

But can a US court order ICANN to transfer the domain back over if previous owner wins the appeal?

That's a good question - ICANN are a U.S group after all.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

I hope that they get France.com back, delivered safely in a UK backed Nuclear submarine.

 

[BrandEntrance.com]

One could safely assume that France would be able to afford France.com instead of stealing it. Shouldn't they be using France.eu or France,gov?

 

[Business Brands]

Wasted effort, but he put a good fight.

 

[NickB]

Yeah, with a handy little "TM" next to France in the logo

Had a little look on Wayback machine

Looks like they added it in October 2019 - bottom of the page on the left

https://web.archive.org/web/20191017201618/https://www.france.fr/fr

@tech4 - accidently replied to my post and not yours

 

[Jean-Noel Frydman]

My french isn't as good as it used to be but the last time I checked the French called their country "La France".

Actually, the official name of the country is La République Française (The French Republic), not France.

And, apart from that, there is NOTHING in French law (except the Appeals court decision regarding France.com) that gives the country any right over the name France. Nothing.

 

[Jean-Noel Frydman]

Great, France changes their rules for how the world works in 2019 and everybody has to just follow their bandwagon. (I truly believe they would lose this case in a European Court). Is this how this works? I am assuming that this is the reason they went after france.com.

Exactly right. There's nothing in French law to protect the word France. Not one article of law, and no prior jurisprudence (except for the Appeals court decision in the France.com case) There are also more than 200000 trademarks in France (5 last week alone) with the name France, which proves it is not protected under French law.

 

[Windoms]

I feel bad the guy lost a valuable domain. I hope they will rule for him.

Me on the other hand Im glad a country gets to have their domain name so that it can be put to full use.
Just wished they paid the guy or something lol

 

[BrandEntrance.com]

The Dot Com was registered by the US Department of Defense . It was created to do some kind of world commercial trading to connect people and businesses. Basically commerical purposes.

It wasn't created by France. So I think what they did was basically stole the domain, like stealing candy from a baby. Using immunity on a domain name makes no sense. When they could easily solve it by "buying it out". Unless its really complicated, sensitive, and there are almost no choices immunity makes sense. A big country stealing from a US citizen ....

International internet theft is what it is. They have choices, and still to this day they can redress their wrong. And can chose to settle the case peacefully. They have a lot of options still to this day!

In Sweden, all these country domains were reserved and offered to the countries that had claim to them Some countries didn't take up the offer and these .se domains, which were held in reserve for 15 years, were recently released for anybody to register. Thailand.se is one example.

 

[Windoms]

If its owned by french government then game over.
Because diplomacy and upper level networking kicks in, for the countries best interests, which are above this man's needs.

 

[CraigD]

My french isn't as good as it used to be but the last time I checked the French called their country "La France".

France is an English word.

Interesting. There are a few interpretations about that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_of_France

 

[iAdam]

France.com redirects to France.fr

 

[NickB]

France.com redirects to France.fr

Yeah, with a handy little "TM" next to France in the logo

 

[CraigD]

Came across this in relation to that little TM next to the word France:

Partner with France / avec la France
https://www.proparco.fr/en/partner-france

 

[iAdam]

"La" is an article.. that's like saying "The" United States.

 

[iAdam]

I feel bad the guy lost a valuable domain. I hope they will rule for him.

 

[BrandEntrance.com]

You can read.
Thankyou.

Not sure about your groove here Craig. If I stepped on your digits then I am sorry. Meant no harm. Yes, I can read in several languages each day.

Anyway I am blockading France now!

 

[tech4]

The Dot Com was registered by the US Department of Defense . It was created to do some kind of world commercial trading to connect people and businesses. Basically commerical purposes.

It wasn't created by France. So I think what they did was basically stole the domain, like stealing candy from a baby. Using immunity on a domain name makes no sense. When they could easily solve it by "buying it out". Unless its really complicated, sensitive, and there are almost no choices immunity makes sense. A big country stealing from a US citizen ....

International internet theft is what it is. They have choices, and still to this day they can redress their wrong. And can chose to settle the case peacefully. They have a lot of options still to this day!

 

[Business Brands]

France has just "imported" France.com

 

[NickB]

France has just "imported" France.com

Fair enough - It's been a long day and I missed the humour.....

 

[lindamurcelo]

Timing is probably quite bad with AUSUK, France are not happy with America, so don't think they will care too much about what US supreme court says.

But can a US court order ICANN to transfer the domain back over if previous owner wins the appeal?

 

[Business Brands]

Punitive damages in this case are appropriate. Around 1 trillion Dollars.