The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) panel has not enforced a request from a German trademark holder that it be allowed to take control of 7S.com.
According to the ruling, the current owner of 7S.com will be able to hold on to the domain name despite the fact that they failed to respond to the request.
One of the deciding factors appeared to be that the domain name itself was registered two years prior to the trademark request being lodged.
Also, 7S.com points to other sites in a relatively arbitrary manner, meaning that fair use policies cannot be easily applied to it.
UDRP panelist Andrew Frederick Christie said: “Where a domain name is used simply to point to a website, I believe there needs to be some semantic relationship between the domain name and the website for that use to be bona fide.”
U.S. firm Groupon is currently embroiled in a domain dispute with Australian rival Scoopon, with the latter claiming Groupon is unlikely to win the case.