Is your domain name safe ?

2008-01-01

I
SYOURDOMAINNAMESAFE?

MARCELNAUD*
LEGER
ROBICRICHARD,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

AreYouUnknowinglyAllowingThirdPartiestoProfitfromtheGoodwillVestedin
YourTrade-marks?
HowtoDetectFraudulentWarningsRegardingDomainNames?
HowWilltheNewWHOISPolicyforDot-caDomainNamesLikelyAffectYou?
AreYouUnknowinglyAllowingThirdPartiestoProfitfromtheGoodwillVestedin
YourTrade-marks?
Whentrade-markownersdecidetoregisterseveraldomainnames“defensively”,to
preventothersfromusingorregisteringthem,theymayverywellbeunknowingly
helpingcompetitors,aswellastheregistrarandaproviderofon-lineadvertisement
servicestotakeadvantageofthegoodwillvestedinthosetrade-marks.Veryoften,
thedefault“underconstruction”pageor“parking”pageoftheotherwiseunused
domainnameswilldisplaypromotions,advertisementsandlinkstothird-party
productandserviceofferings,sometimesevenforsimilarproductsandservicesthat
theownerisseeking.ServiceagreementsofthedomainnameregistrarNetwork
Solutionsexpresslyauthorizesittoplacesuchpromotionalcontentondefault“under
construction”pagesprovidedtoitscustomers.Itisthereforeadvisabletoverifythe
currentmannerinwhichyourparkeddomainnamesareconfiguredandmakethe
necessarychanges,asthecasemaybe.Itisalsoadvisabletoincludeinthedomain
namemanagementpolicyofyourorganizationsspecificationsregardinghowa
“parked”domainnameregisteredandmaintainedfordefensivepurposeshouldbe
configuredinordertoavoiditbeingusedasapromotionalvehicleforproductsand
servicesofothers.
HowtoDetectFraudulentWarningsRegardingDomainNames

©CIPS,2008.*WithLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP.amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-
markAgents.PublishedintheSummer2008Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.12,No.2).Publication
068.092.

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Improperuseofdomainnameandtrade-markregistrationdataisincreasingand
requiresvigilance.Amongthemostwidespreadscamsareemail“notices”senttoa
registeredtrade-markowner,typicallyfromso-calleddomainnameregistrars
locatedinAsia.Thenoticesarepresentedaswarningsthatacompany,unknownto
thetargetedorganization,appliedfordomainnamescomprisingitstrade-marks.
TheythenurgetheCEOorthepersoninchargeofthedomainnamemaintenance
withinthetargetedorganizationtocommunicatewiththesenderforassistance.If
thepersoninchargedoesso,thesendercouldregisterthedomainnamesunderthe
nameofsomeoneelseandpretendthatitwillhelpthepersoninchargetoclaim
thosedomainnamesback.

Inordertodetectandavoidthesefraudulentschemes,oneshouldlookatthe
inconsistenciesinthenotices:inausualregistrationprocess,availabledomain
namesarenormallyregisteredwithinsecondsaftertheapplicationsaresubmitted,
withoutpriorexaminationofconflictswithtrade-marks.Aregistrarhasnoobligation,
andnoincentive,topreventoneofitsclientsfromregisteringadomainnameand
notifyingatrade-markownerofthisdomainnameapplication.Asearchinthe
WHOISdatabaseoftherealregistryoperatorwillnormallyindicatethatthedomain
nameslistedinthe“notice”areinfactstillavailable.Toverifywhoisthetrueregistry
operatorofagiventop-leveldomain(TLD)(e.g..cn,.asia,.ca,.com,etc.),
searchesviatheIANA(iana.org)RootZoneDatabaseshouldbeperformed.To
verifywhetheranorganisationtrulyisaregistraraccreditedtoprovidedomainname
servicesfortheTLDinquestion,searchesinthelistofaccreditedregistrars
publishedbyICANN(icann.org)oronthewebsiteoftheconcernedregistryoperator
canbeperformed.Therearenoguarantees,however,thatthebusinesspracticesof
anaccreditedregistrarareirreproachable.

WhytheNewWHOISPolicyforDot-caDomainNamesWillLikelyAffectYou?

InreactiontorequirementsofthePersonalInformationProtectionandElectronic
DocumentsAct,theCanadianInternetRegistrationAuthority(CIRA)adoptedanew
policyregardingtheinformationdisclosedthroughthedot-cadomainnameregistry.
ThisnewpolicyhasbeenimplementedandbecameeffectiveonJune10,2008.
Registrantswhoareindividualdomainnameholderswillnowhavetheiridentityand
contactinformationconcealedbydefault(thisincludesthenameoftheregistrantas
wellasthename,address,phonenumber,email,andfaxnumberofthe
administrativecontactandtechnicalcontact).If,asaninterestedparty,youneedto
communicatewithadomainnameholderwhoseidentityandcontactinformation
havebeenprotected,youwillhavetouseaMessageDeliveryFormwhichwillbe
availablefromCIRA’swebsitefortransmittingcorrespondence.However,CIRAwill
notguaranteethatmessageswillbereadorrespondedtobytherecipient.
Corporate(non-individual)domainnameholders,ontheotherhand,willstillhave
theiridentityandcontactinformationdisplayedbydefault,withthepossibilityof

3
opting-outusingtheonlineRequestforPrivacyProtectionformprovidedbyCIRA.
Todoso,thecorporateholderhastobeableto“certifythatithasalegitimateneed
toprotecttheprivacyofitsinformation,whichneedisgreaterthanthatofotherCIRA
Registrantswhoarenotindividuals,becausethenatureofthatRegistrant’s
operationsoractivitiesissuchthatdisclosureofitsinformationviatheWHOISwould
belikelytocauseharmtoindividualsortothatRegistrant.”
Inordertoavoid,asmuchaspossible,costlyandlengthylawsuits,itispreferableto
proceedwithsomeverificationsbeforeinvestinginthecommercializationofa
productorspendingmoneytoacquirerightstoaproductfromathirdparty.Amongst
thevariousverificationsthatmaybeundertaken,(i.e.financalconsiderations,
marketingpotential,etc.),itisalsostronglyrecommendedtoperformaduediligence
reviewofcertainlegalmatters.Itisimportanttoverifyforinstancewhowasinvolved
inthecreationoftheintellectualpropertyrightsconcerningaproductinorderto
ensurethatallrightsrequiredtoexploittheproducthavebeenobtained.
Furthermore,duediligenceontheintellectualpropertyrightsofanewlydeveloped
productmayinclude:
·freedom-to-operateopinions;
·infringementopinions;
·theverificationofthetitletotherightsinquestion;
·theverificationofintellectualpropertyrightswhichareheldorexisting,by
ownerorbyproduct;
·theverificationofcontractslinkedtotheproduct;and
·theverificationofliensandhypothecsoftheintellectualpropertyrightsofthe
product.
Duediligencesubstantiallylimitstherisksofalawsuit.Itrepresentsanimportant
negotiationtoolandbringsalevelofinsuranceandcomfortforthepartywhich
conductsit,aswellasforitsfuturebusinesspartners.

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ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdela
propriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielset
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marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérification
diligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademark
agentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofall
fieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;
trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightand
entertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
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breeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,
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law;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
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