IEC.com saved in UDRP
NGO loses attempt to get valuable domain name.
International Electrotechnical Commission, a non-governmental organization, has lost a UDRP it filed against the owner of IEC.com.
Although the respondent is listed as IEC Communications Ltd., it appears it’s really a domain name investor. The respondent stated it purchased the domain name since of the value of rare 2 and 3 letter domain names, not to target International Electrotechnical Commission.
This is most likely the case, and the three person WIPO panel ruled that the domain name was thus not registered in bad faith.
The panel declined to find reverse domain name hijacking, noting that it was fair for the complainant to “test” the issue of whether the domain was registered in bad faith. That’s an interesting rationale.
The respondent was represented by ESQwire.com.
Counsel for IEC asked that I update this story to reflect that its client met the first prong of UDRP, that the domain name is confusingly similar to a mark in which it has rights.
