Easton Corp Pty Ltd v. Privacydotlink Customer 951873 / DNS Admin, Best Web Limited: A Case Study in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking

The WIPO domain name dispute case D2016-1975 involved Easton Corp Pty Ltd, an Australian company specializing in lingerie and beachwear, and Privacydotlink Customer 951873 / DNS Admin, Best Web Limited over the domain name “hottie.com”. Easton Corp, which operates online at “www.hottie.com.au”, claimed that the domain name was identical to its trademark and argued that the respondent had no legitimate interest in it, inferring bad faith from the respondent’s use for adult-oriented advertising.

However, the panel found that Easton Corp’s complaint was brought in bad faith, constituting Reverse Domain Name Hijacking. The domain name “hottie.com” was found to be used based on its generic value rather than to exploit Easton Corp’s trademark. The respondent had acquired the domain name before Easton Corp obtained trademark rights, and there was no evidence that the respondent targeted the complainant’s trademark at the time of registration.

For more detailed information about this case, please refer to the WIPO’s official case details here.

The WIPO domain name dispute case D2016-1975 involved Easton Corp Pty Ltd, an Australian company specializing in lingerie and beachwear, and Privacydotlink Customer 951873 / DNS Admin, Best Web Limited over the domain name “hottie.com”. Easton Corp, which operates online at “www.hottie.com.au”, claimed that the domain name was identical to its trademark and argued that…