WIPO - LLL domain, respondent victorious

[bramiozo]

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/d...2008-0055.html

The arguments put forward by the respondent are an interesting read.

The respondent in casu is a domain investor who registered kpn.info and who used it to host a sponsored search engine. The Dutch company KPN n.v. tried to muscle the name out of his possession but he didn't budge.

Key for his victory is imo the fact that KPN n.v. is a national brand which the respondent wouldn't normally know as a Greek citizen.

[Jay]

Also key to the victory was that the domain was an acronym that the Complainant couldn't legitimately claim exclusive authority over. This fact, combined with the limited awareness of the trademark outside the Netherlands, sealed the deal.

What I particularly like is the respondent's claim of legitimacy for domain trading:

"According to the Respondent, 3-letter domain names are valuable and the Respondent is in the business of registering and selling domain names, which business of itself is an entirely bona fide activity."

That's telling them!