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What is Cybersquatting?
Cybersquatting is just one of the many hazards of doing business online. It is a process whereby one registers a domain which is another entity’s trademark without their consent and then sells the domain at a ridiculous price.
Cybersquatting criminals register numerous trademarks as domain names and then speculate with those domain names. You may even find second level domain names falling prey to cybersquatting.
There have been lawsuits over the issue where the plaintiffs have won, but the process starts with taking the issue to the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy.
The second step is the writing of a letter to the person involved demanding the withdrawal of the name with a warning of legal actions pending if the person refuses. The final step is to take legal action which normally leads to court cases or settlement outside the court.
Should it come to litigation you will want an experienced intellectual property attorney to handle the case. Even before such, you will benefit from the authority that lawyers give to correspondence, showing the perpetrator that you are serious.
Cybersquatting is not the same as domain theft. Domain theft involves the hijacking of a domain name, whereas the cyber squatter registers a trademark belonging to someone else as a domain name and then sells it.
If you have fallen victim to such actions, simply contact our lawyer team for expert advice and to help you take the appropriate steps to regain your trademark value by preventing the perpetrator from further exploiting your trademark as a domain name.
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