Transcript Real and Virtual Identities

Real and Virtual Identities
Francis Gurry
Assistant Director General
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Real and Virtual Identities
The Problem
• Spontaneous mutation of domain names to become also
business identifiers
• Collision of two forms of identifiers
1 Trademarks: publicly administered, territorially effective, legal
titles
2 Domain names: privately administered, globally effective,
technical addresses
• Existence of dubious practices designed to exploit the lack
of relationship between the two identifiers (cybersquatting)
The Policy Complication
• Inadequacy of traditional means of policy formulation or
implementation
– untimeliness of a treaty
– insufficiency of national legislation or national court
jurisdiction
– fear of multiple inconsistent national laws
• USG request to WIPO in June 1998 (“initiate a balanced
and transparent international process”)
The Process
• web site in three languages (E, F & S), 1358 subscribers
from 74 countries
• open meetings with audio and text records available (17 in
15 countries and 5 continents with 1264 participants)
• list server (420 subscribers)
• three RFCs in three languages
• 332 comments on RFCs; altogether comments and
presentations from:
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–
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40 governments
4 international organizations
74 professional, industrial and academic organizations
181 corporations and law firms
183 individuals
Report
Findings & Approach
• Abusive registrations are a
significant problem
• Expression of existing law, not
creation of new law
• Condemned by all
• Minimalist approach
– cybersquatting only (not
more general problem of
intersection of global
medium and territorial
systems)
– trademarks only
• Involve a wasteful diversion of
resources
WIPO Internet Domain Name Process
Report Recommendations
•
Registration practices
– availability of reliable and accurate contact details
•
Uniform dispute-resolution procedure for .com, .net and .org in respect of
abusive registrations
•
Exclusions for marks that are famous across widespread geographical area and
across different classes
•
New gTLDs envisageable if foregoing recommendations adopted and if
introduced in a controlled manner
gTLD Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy
• Abusive registration and use:
– complainant has trademark rights in domain name
– respondent has no rights or legitimate interests
– bad faith registration and use
• Single panelist, unless either party opts for three-person
panel (panelists and biodata available on web site)
• $1000 fee ($2500 for three-person panel)
• Model form complaint available on web site
• Decision in 45 days from commencement
gTLD Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy
WIPO Case Filings to end of May 2000
(531 cases)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
January
February
March
April
May
gTLD Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy
Geographical Distribution of Parties
(WIPO)
• Parties from 54 countries
• USA: 52.9% (306) of complainants
• EU: 29.1% (168) of complainants
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UK: 8.8% (51)
France: 6.1% (35)
Spain: 4% (23)
Italy: 1.7 % (9)
gTLD Uniform Dispute Resolution Procedure
Case Results
(until end of May, 2000)
• 175 decisions rendered
• 32 (18.3%) complaints denied
• 47 cases settled before decision
gTLD Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy
Some Features of WIPO Cases
• Widespread geographical application: parties from 54
countries
• Not all contested domain names immediately commercial
– alcoholicsanonymous.net, universityofnebraska.com, toefl.com
• “famous” marks
– microsoft.org, dior.org
• Endless possibility of plagiarism
– bbcdelondres.com, bbcenespagnol.com/.net/.org
– nokiagirls.com
• Beyond brands
– events: worldcup2002.com/.net/.org
– celebrity names: dodiealfayed.com, petergabriel.com,
juliaroberts.com, johnnycarson.com, jimihendrix.com, sting.com
Domain Names:
Outstanding Issues
• Scope of definition of cybersquatting
– personality rights
– (place names) and geographical indications
– Article 6ter, Paris Convention (names and acronyms of
international organizations)
– INNs
– Names of entities not protected by trademark law
(corporations/organizations)
• Mechanism of Implementation
• Scope of application of mechanism in DNS
– ccTLDs
Reflections
• The irrelevance of trademarks?
– the increased importance of branding in distributed and virtual
markets
• Why domain names?
– Who (name/identity) and where (location)
– fusion of search and navigation
– towards a URI?
• The criterion of identifiers
– distinctiveness or consumer expectation (generics)
• The death of specialty
• Another blow for territorialty
URLs
• http://www.wipo.int
(general)
• http://www.arbiter.wipo.int
(WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center/domain name disputes)
• http://www.ecommerce.wipo.int
(ecommerce)