Registration of “Stamps .com” Mark Does Not Confer an Exclusive Right to the Stand-Alone Term “Stamps” This case will be of special interest for those who have wondered how the UDRP will consider the U.S. Supreme Court’s Booking.com decision. The ICA filed an amicus brief in the Booking.com case through its very able counsel, David Weslow of Wiley and afterwards …
Welcome Global Tech Leader Squarespace as ICA’s Newest Platinum Member
We’re proud to announce that Squarespace, a global leader in the digital presence industry, has joined the Internet Commerce Association (ICA) as a Platinum Member. Squarespace’s membership marks a significant milestone for the ICA and the broader domain name community. As one of the world’s leading domain registrars, Squarespace brings the voice of owners of over 13 million domains—comprising a …
Did the Panel Unjustly Deprive the Complainant of a Transfer? – vol. 5.38
Did the Panel Unjustly Deprive the Complainant of a Transfer? The Panel’s decision is confounding to me. Despite a lengthy and complex decision, the facts to me appear rather simple. The Complainant had a very well-known common law trademark for a music festival located in the Bahamas which preexisted the Respondent’s registration of the Domain Name. The Respondent used the …
Meet the ICA at the NamesCon Opening Party!
Are you planning to attend NamesCon, taking place November 4–6 in Miami? We’re excited to share that the ICA will have its own dedicated area at the NamesCon Opening Party this year! It’s a great chance to connect with fellow ICA members, meet new people in the industry, and kick off the conference together! NamesCon brings together investors, registrars, registries, service providers, and experts from …
Watch the ICA Webinar Replay: What’s Next for New gTLDs
Thank you to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s ICA webinar on the next round of new gTLDs. We were thrilled with the turnout and the level of engagement throughout the session. The lively discussion made it clear that this is a timely and important topic for our community, and we’re glad we could bring so many perspectives together in one …
Watch the ICA Webinar Replay: What’s Next for New gTLDs
Thank you to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s ICA webinar on the next round of new gTLDs. We were thrilled with the turnout and the level of engagement throughout the session. The lively discussion made it clear that this is a timely and important topic for our community, and we’re glad we could bring so many perspectives together in one …
Contrived Complaint or Unsuccessful Complaint? – vol. 5.37
Contrived Complaint or Unsuccessful Complaint? When it comes to RDNH, I have consistently said that while Panelists are required to consider it when appropriate, RDNH is ultimately a matter of Panelist discretion having regard to the circumstances. Here, it appears that the Complainant apparently fumbled the case by failing to provide evidence of common law trademark rights, and as the …
2026 Lonnie Borck Memorial Award and Trailblazer Award Nominations
We’re pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Lonnie Borck Memorial Award and ICA Trailblazer Award. These two awards celebrate different, but equally important, contributions to our industry, and we hope you’ll take a few moments to nominate someone or a company you believe deserves recognition. Deadline to nominate: November 2, 2025 Who can nominate: Anyone in the industry …
Panel: Complainants Attempted to Pervert UDRP Process with Forged Trademark – vol. 5.36
Panel: Complainants Attempted to Pervert UDRP Process with Forged Trademark As the saying goes, “forewarned is forearmed”. We must thank Panelist Steven Maier for warning us all that such frauds can occur in the UDRP and that Panelists must always be vigilant when reviewing a case. Often such vigilance extends to examining the trademark register itself to verify whether the …
“Complete Absence of Evidence of Targeting” Leads to RDNH – vol. 5.35
“Complete Absence of Evidence of Targeting” Leads to RDNH Although not expressly mentioned in the decision, the word, “ONIRIC” happens to be a dictionary word meaning “related to dreams or dreaming”. That provides an explanation of why the Respondent registered the Domain Name in the first place and also why the Complainant selected it for its brand as well. Of …