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cybersquatting

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cybersquatting

Registering an Internet domain name that sounds similar to a widely known company or product. For example, if fancy-shirts.com were a popular clothing site, a cybersquatter might register FancyShirtsClothing.com and hope to rank high on a search engine's results page, also by including related words in hidden tags of its Web pages. The site might sell a competitive product or make money from ads (see domain parking).

Instead of registering similar-sounding names, cybersquatters might register the common misspellings of popular domain names (see URL hijacking).

Anti-Cybersquatting: ACPA and UDRP
In 1999, the U.S. government passed the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), which enables trademark holders to obtain civil damages up to $100,000 from cybersquatters. While not directly outlawing cybersquatting, it was an attempt to improve the situation.

Also in 1999, ICANN created the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) to resolve cybersquatting disputes. If not resolved, trademark holders may still take legal action under ACPA. For more information, visit www.icann.org/en/udrp/udrp.htm. See URL hijacking, page hijacking and domaining.
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References in periodicals archive
As set out, URS is an efficient, low-cost dispute mechanism for obvious cases of cybersquatting. The enforcement of URS complaints has reflected this purpose.
This is the latest in a long series of negotiations involving governments, producers, ICANN and the registry applicants related to wine industry concerns about potential cybersquatting, counterfeiting, consumer fraud and infringement upon the rights of Geographical Indication (GI) interest groups (such as producers of Champagne and Napa Valley wines).
Cybersquatting is the act of using or registering a trademarked domain name with the intent of making profit.
The UDRP rules and the ACPA statutes were established to address activities generally identified as cybersquatting. (38) Cybersquatting is often characterized as registering or trafficking in domain names in bad faith.
Dot-brand TLDs will also reduce cybersquatting, knock-off sites and brand abuse.
Companies are also worried that the new suffixes will help boost the so-called "cybersquatting", or the registration of popular trademark domains by opportunist investors.
Two common causes of trademark infringement disputes on the Internet involve keyword advertisements and domain name cybersquatting.
Beware of cybersquatting and typosquatting which may look like the domain of the legitimate eTailer.
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