RepairClinic.com has emerged triumphant after taking a cybersquatting case to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The firm made an application for ownership of the domain name ‘repairclinc.com’, which is very similar to its own flagship Web address minus the final ‘i’.
RepairClinic.com claimed that potential customers who mistakenly omitted this letter searching for ‘repairclinic.com’ would be redirected to the website — noting that this was a clear case of typosquatting.
WIPO agreed with the plaintiff, and ordered Spoofy, Inc. to transfer ownership of the domain name to RepairClinic.com.
The organization agreed that registering a domain name so similar to the firm’s trademark was unethical, and that attempts to generate trade using the address had been made in bad faith.
“We take great pride in our company name and what it stands for. It’s disheartening that a company would intentionally try to take advantage of our customers,” said Chris Hall, RepairClinic.com president. “That is why we will take immediate action against anyone who engages in these unethical practices.”
A recent WIPO report indicated that instances of typosquatting increased by 28 per cent during 2010.