Cybersquatting expert witnesses may opine on domain squatting, domain names, and cyberpiracy. Here, Las Vegas Trademark attorney Ryan Gile writes that in Zuffa, LLC v. theultimatefighter.com, UFC filed an In Rem Cybersquatting Action against the UltimateFighter.com.
Las Vegas-based Zuffa LLC (“Zuffa”), the company which owns the marks THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP and UFC in connection with mixed-martial arts competitions, filed an in rem lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for District of Nevada against the domain name theultimatefighter.com.
Of course, the date when the mark became distinctive is relevant because it is only cybersquatting if the domain name was confusingly similar to a mark that was distinctive on the date of registration. The domain name in dispute was purportedly registered by Anton Resnick with the registrar eNom on January 22, 2004 (long before Zuffa’s aforementioned trademark applications). The domain name http://www.theultimatefighter.com/ currently is redirected to a Yahoo page dedicated to mixed martial arts.
Read more: Ryan Gile.