Tries to reverse domain hijack Hanit.com — HAHN Kunststoffe

Firm filed UDRP following inquiring regarding buying domain name.

HAHN Kunststoffe GmbH has been found to have engaged in “Plan B” reverse domain name hijacking over the domain name Hanit.com. The firm markets a high-tech plastic under the HANIT mark.

As stated by the decision, domain name owner Kwangpyo Kim of Mediablue Inc. in South Korea registered the domain name in 2001. At that time, the Complainant had a German trademark but did not have much of a presence in Asia.

15 years later, in 2016, the Complainant inquired regarding buying the domain. It received a response through Uniregistry offering the domain for $20,000.

It didn’t buy the domain then and inquired again in 2018. At that time the asking price had increased to $68,000 (then lowered to $60,000). The Respondent attached an Escrow.com screenshot from another sale for $74,980 as a comparison.

HAHN Kunststoffe filed the complaint following that.

In finding reverse domain name hijacking, the three-member World Intellectual Property Organization panel wrote:

Indeed, the Complaint does appear to reflect, as the Respondent concluded, the Complainant’s “Plan B” following failing to register a domain name corresponding to its brand at some point following 1993 and determining not to purchase the Domain Name when it encountered a high price in 2016 and a higher one in 2018. The Panel does not countenance abuse of the UDRP system as an alternative to dealing with the consequences of business decisions.

ESQwire.com represented the Respondent.