Analysis of WIPO Case D2019-0603: Sport and Fashion, Pte. Ltd. v. St. Lawrence Cement Inc.

In the domain name dispute case Sport and Fashion, Pte. Ltd. v. St. Lawrence Cement Inc. (Case No. D2019-0603), the dispute centered around the domain name “demix.com.” The complainant, Sport and Fashion, Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based company involved in the sports equipment industry, contended that the domain name was identical to its DEMIX trademark and was registered in bad faith.

The respondent, St. Lawrence Cement Inc., a Canadian company, had registered the domain name “demix.com” in 1997, well before the complainant’s trademark registration. The respondent’s business was linked to the use of the term DEMIX, evidenced by its registered Canadian trademarks.

The WIPO panel, led by Nick J. Gardner, found that although the domain name was identical to the complainant’s trademark, the respondent had a legitimate interest in the domain name, having used it in connection with its business before the complaint. Furthermore, there was no evidence of bad faith registration or use by the respondent.

Consequently, the complaint was denied. The panel also concluded that the complaint was brought in bad faith, constituting an abuse of the administrative proceeding, and thus made a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking against the complainant.

For a detailed overview of the case, you can refer to the full decision on the WIPO website: WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2019-0603.

In the domain name dispute case Sport and Fashion, Pte. Ltd. v. St. Lawrence Cement Inc. (Case No. D2019-0603), the dispute centered around the domain name “demix.com.” The complainant, Sport and Fashion, Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based company involved in the sports equipment industry, contended that the domain name was identical to its DEMIX trademark and…