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New Rules to Settle Internet Name Rows
The Beijing Higher People's Court has devised new rules to settle disputes over Internet Domain name registering.
The measures cover people registering names which harm, or have the potential to harm, trademark owners.
The new regulations say anyone trying to register a trademark name could be fined.
These new measures are due to be implemented soon in all courts in Beijing.
Up to now, Beijing courts have dealt with nine disputes involving Internet domain name registering. Four of these have been settled.
Most of these cases involved large international enterprises, such as Microsoft and Procter & Gamble. They came after people registered the companies' names with ".CN" (China) and then asked the firms for huge sums of money before they agree not to use the companies' names any more.
According to the new measures, registering names of existing companies will not be allowed and no Beijing court will allow such an act, accordingly.
Only when a domain owner has strong reasons to support ownership, can judges grant registration.
The new court document also clearly defines "vicious domain name registering."
"Anyone who deliberately confuses their domain name with a famous trademark to confuse people to help sell goods or fulfil some other goal will not be allowed to get away with it," according to the new regulations.
"Domain names which are registered to prevent other trademark owners or competitors registering, or those which harm other's reputations, would also be considered void," the document added.
If the new measures are carried out smoothly in the capital city they will probably be extended to the whole country.
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