Overview
Scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their methods for defrauding businesses. One common scam utilises typosquatting—registering a domain name that is a misspelling of a company’s domain name—and creating a fraudulent website and/or fake emails appearing legitimate to trick unsuspecting customers into providing payment or sensitive information.
Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) proceedings enable trademark owners to cost-effectively combat abusive registrations of domain names. UDRP proceedings are quicker and less costly than litigation, usually resulting in a decision within 1–2 months of filing. Relief available under the UDRP can include the transfer of the domain name registered in bad faith to the trademark owner.
Since the beginning of the year, Leason Ellis filed UDRP proceedings successfully preventing the misuse of at least six domains that were fraudulently registered for purposes including traditional domain-name squatting, typosquatting, sending phishing emails to customers asking for wire transfers, and hosting a fake website copying photos and contact information from a company’s legitimate website and purporting to sell the company’s products.
