A UDRP has just been filed against Frank Schilling’s Name Administration on the domain name WalkTheWalk.com.
The company filing the complaint is Walk the Walk Worldwide, whose site is at WalkTheWalk.org
According to the organization’s site it operates a charity since 1998 centered in the UK.
Walk the Walk Worldwide has two trademark registered with the USPTO for walk the walk, one in September 2009 filed in 2007 and one registered in 2004 which was filed in 2001.
Of course Walk the Walk is a often used phrase going well back before the existence of a charity.
As an owner of a lot of these type of domain name its clearly that the organization knew of the existence of the expression when choosing its name and now seeks to claim ownership of a phrase they didn’t create.
WalkTheWalk.org has an original creation date of 1999 but the organization didn’t acquired the domain until 2007
According to DomainTools.com Name Administration has owned the domain name WalkTheWalk.com since January 2005.
Even though they are a charity, I still hope that they end up on the Rick Schwartz hall of shame.
Some of the ugliest and unethical humans in the world head up (and hide behind) “charity’s” with compelling missions – like terminal illnesses, animal cruelty – because there is a lot of dough in pandering the human emotion.
Clearly these guys – with presumably a license to Walk The Walk America as well – have rights in WALK THE WALK as it relates to breast cancer it appears – but when it comes to attempting to usurp WalkTheWalk.com – well TheWritingIsOnTheWall.com 🙂 – they are sleaze.
it seems an easy to defende case. Frank will not have much difficulties in keeping the domain and may even get a RDNH
Charities should be prohibited to use .com as it was meant for the commercial use. If they don’t like .org – they should wait for .charity.
First off, as pointed out, that’s a common phrase, and unless Frank’s site has been “walking” through the Charity’s trademarked classes in use (which I doubt) just keep on walking. Second, why would a Charity seek the .com when it already has the .org? Boot this charity case.
I’ve frequently donated names to friends, entrepreneurs and charities, and I’m happy that I could help in some small way. But I really get irked by “charity” groups who solicit premium domains (requesting that I give them these domains gratis for their “cause”), names I’ve paid serious money for in auctions and private transactions, compounded by there being scarce or any information about their Charity groups.
So Sikes –
In addition to someone misrepresenting me during and after the purchase of SCOLA.com at Snap years ago in which 3 UDRP kangaroos gave it to some non-profit S.C.O.L.A. (SCOLA.org) apparently vs. a surname, geo area and countless other uses as google and bing reveal – including a popular NBA player’s last name – take nothing for granted – this is very ugly stuff with the sleaziest soulless lawyers who will stop at nothing to gain a favorable opinion.
That says it all with what a non-profit thinks about .com’s vs. their .org
Denied:
Good Work Frank and John
Bri
Steven A. Maier
Presiding Panelist
Ian Lowe
Panelist
The Hon Neil Brown Q.C.
Panelist