Our lawyers are specialised in disputes relating to domain names. We assist our clients in the processes of protecting, enhancing, monitoring and defending their domain names (via the initiation of alternative dispute resolution procedures and/or legal proceedings).
Like trademarks, domain names are distinctive signs of a company that contribute to its identity or the identification of its products and services. Domain names are a key items for customers and a part of a company’s intangible assets.
Our lawyers are regularly involved in the protection and defence of domain names.
Protecting your domain names
To protect domain names, our lawyers carry out the following actions:
- Domain name portfolio audits with recommendations to optimise protection strategy;
- Preliminary searches before the registration of your domain names. Before registering a domain name, it is essential to ensure that it does not infringe any existing rights such as registered trademarks, trade names or company names in use, or copyright; and
- Registration of your domain names.
Contracts governing the use of domain names
Our lawyers can also draw up all the contracts that govern the life of a domain name, for example:
- Domain name assignment agreements; and
- Domain name licencing agreements.
Domain name litigations
Our lawyers have extensive experience in domain name litigation cases. Our assistance in this area consists in:
- Making recommendations on the type of proceedings to be initiated, for example in the case of cybersquatting (alternative dispute settlement procedure, legal proceedings etc.);
- Initiating procedures to lift the anonymity of domain name holders, for example with the French Association for Cooperative Internet Naming (AFNIC);
- Initiating alternative dispute settlement procedures, such as the UDRP procedure with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Syreli procedure with AFNIC, etc.; and
- Initiating pre-litigation and litigation proceedings in France and abroad, e.g. action against unfair and/or parasitic competition.
Our lawyers can also provide monitoring services for your domain names, so that you can act quickly in the event of infringement.
Our other expertises