A domain name is a unique text-based address which identifies an Internet site. In recent years, trademarks have been appropriated either as part of a domain name or as meta tags, which can be detected by search engines. Cyber squatters buy domain names with the general intention of selling them at a higher cost to the trademark owner or to create confusion in the public with a similar domain name.
We advise clients on Canadian trademark law, domain name registration, and security against bad faith registrants. When registering a domain name, the registrant must accept a binding arbitration clause which empowers recognized settlement providers to hear disputes between trademark rights holders and the registrant. Examples include:
- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
- The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
Lawyers in Domain Names practice area: