The Dispute Over dollarcity.com: A Case of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking

In the WIPO Case No. D2016-1709, Centroamerica Comercial, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable (CAMCO) of El Salvador filed a complaint against Michael Mann of the United States regarding the domain name “dollarcity.com.” CAMCO, operating a low-cost store chain under the name “Dollar City” in El Salvador and Guatemala, claimed that the domain name was identical to their trademark and was being used in bad faith.

However, the panel, led by Steven A. Maier, found that the domain name was registered and acquired by Mann several years before CAMCO’s first trademark registration, negating claims of bad faith registration. Furthermore, Mann’s use of the domain name for his business of buying and selling domain names did not target or take unfair advantage of CAMCO’s trademark.

Consequently, the complaint was denied, and CAMCO was found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, indicating the complaint was filed in bad faith and was an abuse of the administrative proceeding. This case underscores the importance of the chronological sequence in domain name registrations and trademark claims.

For more details, you can refer to the complete WIPO decision: WIPO Case D2016-1709.

In the WIPO Case No. D2016-1709, Centroamerica Comercial, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable (CAMCO) of El Salvador filed a complaint against Michael Mann of the United States regarding the domain name “dollarcity.com.” CAMCO, operating a low-cost store chain under the name “Dollar City” in El Salvador and Guatemala, claimed that the domain name was identical…