Online Brand Protection and Domain Name Disputes

Domain Name Disputes

Cybersquatting is rampant and the number of domain name dispute cases filed increases significantly every year. We will help you pick the most important battles and the most cost-effective way to conduct them, including via the UDRP, Nominet DRS, the various ccTLD procedures and less-conventional dispute procedures like the URS where applicable.

Anti-phishing and Impersonation

Even the most secure IT system can be infiltrated by something as simple as a spoofed e-mail address. An unauthorised domain name can be used to impersonate staff, associates or third-party suppliers and obtain valuable know-how and account information, as well as to redirect funds and payments to the scammer.

We can help you develop policies to identify phishing scams at early stages, and also can act quickly to disable domain names and online accounts used for these scams. In the past, we have been able to cancel domain names being used to impersonate a UK PLC’s chief financial officer only 35 minutes after instruction.

Website and Social Media Takedowns

All major social media platforms have an internally-regulated procedure for removing infringing content, and there are a number of legal frameworks domestically and overseas that allow for a plan B in the event that the platform’s moderators do not comply with valid demands. We have experience dealing with most major platforms in the UK and overseas, as well as using enforcement options to leverage compliance when necessary. The same frameworks also enable us to remove infringing content from websites without necessarily engaging with the website owner. These strategies can be very useful as stand-alone mechanisms for curtailing offending conduct, and can also provide significant leverage in the context of a wider trade mark dispute.

Management, Strategy and Portfolio Rationalisation

Bloated domain name portfolios are a sinkhole of time and resource. While it’s usually a good idea to explore defensive registrations, it’s also important to know where to draw the line. Our dispute experience allows us to advise on lean but effective registration strategies. Our trade marks experience enables us to secure rights quickly in territories where they are a pre-condition to valid domain name registrations. We can therefore advise you on how to make the most of your resource acquisition

Monitoring

Trade mark monitoring is clearly a must for any brand owner. Domain name monitoring is a less-used but equally important tool as it not only identifies potential cybersquatting and phishing threats before they evolve into a significant problem, but also serves as the most cost-effective way to monitor how third parties might be using your or a similar brand for their own businesses, or to comment on or interfere with yours.

We are able to set up an effective monitoring and reporting program so that you are made aware of new phishing and cybersquatting threats only hours after they arise, but are also constantly up to date on any third parties that might be promoting their businesses online using your or a similar brand.