In this UDRP case study video, I discuss a case under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) involving the letters “https” — which are usually used to signify a secure website but in this instance were used by a cybersquatter to trick Internet users. because the letters were a part of the actual domain name instead of syntax identifying an Internet protocol.
The case is Credit Mutuel v. Lerooy Catherine, and although the dispute involved a French trademark and the decision itself is in French, the cybersquatting trick applies to any language because it preys on a technical tool used to identify secure websites.
The disputed domain name is <https-creditmutuel.com> — which is not the same as https://creditmutuel.com, the URL used by the French bank to identify its website.
The UDRP panel transferred the domain name to Credit Mutuel, writing:
[T]he term “https-” and what it evokes in terms of computer security is particularly relevant in the context of the Complainant’s activities….
[T]he Respondent’s choice to precede, in the disputed domain name, the CREDIT MUTUEL brand by the term “https-”, reveals the Respondent’s intention at the time of registration of the disputed domain name, to give the illusion to Internet users and potential customers… of a legitimate URL address configured according to a reinforced security protocol.
In the video, I explained this technical trick in detail, provide examples from other UDRP cases, and discuss how and why trademark owners need to be on the lookout for this type of cybersquatting.
