Contributory Cybersquatting under the Anitcybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

Welcome to Cybersquatting Law Radio. My name is Attorney Enrico Schaefer, and I specialize in cybersquatting issues, domain disputes, and domain theft.  Today, we are talking about contributory cybersquatting under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.

Domain Name Disputes Come In Many Flavors

Domain name disputes continue to become more common:

As an internet law attorney specializing in domain name issues, I am always struck by the wide variety of domain name issues which come through our law firm front door.  While cybersquatting domain names and trademark issues have been around for a long time, our lawyers continue to see an increase in other types of domain name disputes.  Many companies do a high percentage of their business on-line.  Some companies do all of their business from the internet.  Yet, few companies protect their domain name assets in a way that reflects the value of those assets to the company.  Here are some of the different types of emails, telephone calls, and referrals which we see on a regular basis:

Do a Trademark Availability Search Before Picking Your Company or Product Name.

I would estimate that 95% of companies which select a name for their product or as their company name fail to do a comprehensive trademark search prior to selecting a word or combination of words as a brand.  Too many companies see that a domain is available for registration and assume that their registration of that domain entitles them to use. 

Hiring an attorney to do a trademark availability search is relatively inexpensive compared to the investment which your company will make in its marketing and branding efforts.  Having to select a new company name or product name after receipt of a trademark infringement threat letter, will cost you money, time and customers.  When it comes to trademark issues, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.