NHL.net Registered in 1999 Lost In UDRP To National Hockey League

The domain name NHL.net was lost in a UDRP today.

The domain which was registered in 1999 was awarded to the National Hockey League.

The one member panel noted the domain name did not resolve, but the domain owner did not respond to the C & D letter sent by the Language and did not respond to the UDRP.

The panel also found the domain holder ” has had a number of UDRP decisions against it.”

“”The Policy sets out a number of grounds upon which a finding of bad faith registration and use may be based. It is a non-exhaustive list, but a very useful guide as to what might constitute bad faith registration and use.

One of the grounds described is the presence of evidence of the respondent registering the domain name in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that the respondent has engaged in a pattern of such conduct.

Given the Respondent’s undoubted appreciation of the importance of trademarks, it is inevitable that it would have been aware of the Complainant’s NHL trademark and that registration of the Domain Name would make it impossible for the Complainant to reflect its mark in its own “.net” domain name.

As to a pattern of conduct, this can involve multiple UDRP cases with similar fact situations or a single case where the respondent has registered multiple domain names which are similar to trademarks. The Complainant has annexed to its Complaint a list of UDRP decisions against the Respondent and the Panel is satisfied that a pattern of conduct does exists for the purposes of the Policy. The Panel should add that that the Complainant has also annexed a list of several domain names in respect of which the Respondent is the registrant or with which it is otherwise concerned, that one could anticipate may be the subject of future UDRP complaints.””