Trade Mark Enforcement for Domain Names

In order to protect their valuable brands from infringement and dilution, American companies often engage in a diligent monitoring of the marketplace for third party uses of marks that may be confusingly similar to their brands. These monitoring programmes typically include a review of every domain name registration which incorporates a formative of the company’s particular trade mark. Aggressive trade mark owners will take enforcement measures against third party owners of domain names incorporating formatives of the mark at issue. These aggressive tactics can often lead the trade mark owner into conflict with a foreign entity using the identical mark and owning a domain name registration which incorporates such mark.