Board member separates along with company’s domain name

Breaking a company is like taking a divorce. The complexities arising out of the separation is beyond any party to fully comprehend and cope up with. 

WIPO witnessed a fierce contest between two parties over the domain name Protanium.com. The Complainant is Protanium B. V., Netherlands. The Respondent too was erstwhile of the Complainant’s firm. 

The Complainant possesses a range of trademarks over PROTANIUM, registered in different regions. It includes the Danish mark registered in January 1995, UK and the EU mark both registered in September 2008.

The Respondent was a member of the Complainant’s board and held 20% of company’s shares. The disputed domain name was registered by him in April 2006.

The panel found that a clear case of bad faith as envisaged by the Complainant couldn’t be established. The Panel understood the complexities of the case and suggested them to take the matter to a civil court instead. 

The Complaint was denied. 

You can read the full case here.