Many times people register domain names for actual usage and many times they are redirected to a primary name. What is the status of such activity when it comes to domain name disputes? Would it count as fair use?
FORUM received a dispute involving the domain name Redactable.com. The complainant was a cloud based document redaction platform which operates under the domain name Redactable.co. It also owns service marks in USPTO over REDACTABLE, which was registered in November 2019.
The Respondent used the domain name to redirect it to another domain name PaperFreeCorp.com. In October 2021, the redirection was stopped. The Respondent claimed the domain name was later used to create a platform that sells redaction goods and services.
The panel found and noted that in such cases where there is a domain name being redirected to some other domain names, it can’t be claimed as a fair usage of the domain. Panel stated that instead the domain name was registered in the bad faith trying to benefit from the Complainant’s goodwill.
The domain name was transferred to the Complainant. You can read the full case here.
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