Nov 27th, 2010
What is Reverse Domain Name Hijacking?
What is Reverse Domain Name Hijacking?
Reverse domain name hijacking has become a significant security threat that is largely overlooked by the web hosting community. This form of domain theft involves copyright owners asserting expansive trademark rights in order to take ownership of a domain from its rightful owner. In most cases, this form of domain theft is actually practiced by larger companies that want to claim a domain name from a smaller company.
In the case of ‘reverse domain name hijacking’ the offending party will typically file a report in conjunction with the UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy), which claims that the current domain owner registered the domain in violation of trademark rights. The goal in filing this report is to have the current domain ownership rights revoked and handed over to the offender. Unfortunately, even though in many cases the larger companies are overstepping their trademark rights, most small companies do not have the funds or knowledge needed to defend themselves through any type of opposition. it is possible to file an action in court against the offending party, which states that your registration of the domain was lawful and in accordance with the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA). The ACPA is basically a law that serves to protect domain registrants from the outreaching and unjust claims of trademark owners.
