domains UDRP against the aged domain ABC.net

[Isac]

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has filed a UDRP against the premium, aged domain name, ABC.net.

Registered in 1995, ABC.net has been in the possession of a Canadian domain investor, Beautiful Domains.

There is no track record of a sale for the domain, and the current registrant appears to have held the domain since at least 2000 – historical WHOIS data is kindly provided by DomainTools.

The Complainant in this UDRP that was filed at the WIPO two days ago, operates from ABC.net.au.

According to Wikipedia:

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s national broadcaster founded in 1929. It is currently principally funded by direct grants from the Australian government, but is expressly independent of government and partisan politics. The ABC plays a leading role in journalistic independence and is fundamental in the history of broadcasting in Australia.

This will be an interesting case to watch, as the domain ABC.net has been offered for sale by its registrant, since at least 2016. ABC is a very common three letter acronym, with tens of thousands of uses in the corporate world.

Source: https://domaingang.com/domain-law/a...n-files-udrp-against-the-aged-domain-abc-net/

 

[domainscience]

It’s too generic for them to go after. Only problem is is it worth defending? Dunno

 

[MadAboutDomains]

UPDATE: This was decided in favour of the respondent but surprisingly fell short of RDNH:

https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=D2019-1181

 

[DomainRecap]

Not surprising at all, as the panelist(s) could easily make future legal fees out of ABC, vs, probably zero from the domain owner.

Loved their insane reason why no RDNH was found:

"As another factor, the Panel notes that Respondent’s web portal offerings to some extent overlap with broadcasting services, inasmuch as both activities fall within the general category of media services."

Sure, and the brain of an earthworm also heavily overlaps with that of this panelist.