Intellectual Property Rights Infringement in Cyberspace

What Is IPR

• Creation of intellect• Owned by Individual or Organization• Owners can choose to share it freely or to

control its use in a certain ways

Why IPR Protected

• Maintaining Fair Competition• Encouraging the production of a wide

range of quality of goods and services• Supporting economic growth• Sustaining Innovation and Creation

Who Benefits from the IPR Protection

• Society– Creator– Owner– User

• Global Economy

How is intellectual property protected (1)

• Creations in the fields of literature, art –Books, paintings, music, films - and software are protected through copyright.

• Distinctive Features such as words, Symbols, smells, sounds that differentiate on product from the others are protected by trademark rights.

How is intellectual property protected (2)

• Technological inventions are protected by patent rights.

• Objects with external appearance such as car body parts, tableware, jewelry are protected by design rights.

Intellectual property in Cyberspace

• Online Trademark Infringement– Metatagging– Keywording and Online Advertising-PPC– Linking

• Domain Name Infringement– Cyber Squatting– Typo Squatting– Cyber Smearing

Metatagging

Metatagging

Online Trademark Infringement• Metatagging

Is an optional and essential lines of code that is embedded into the web page, not displayed to the web page visitors and technically invisible to the browser since they run at the back of the website. This formatted information inspected by the search engines and used to index and maintain the web page rank in user's searches.

More about MetataggingA web site Me.com would be trading with computer parts and equipments, but the keyword tags were full of irrelevant keyword terms like “BMW", “X5", “X3“, “5 Series“, “3 Series“, “7 Series".When someone search for BMW,X5 … the website Me.com will appear despite the nature of their work.

Online Trademark Infringement

• Search Engine Keywording and Online Advertising:

Search engines have huge share of total internet browsing usage. Users resort to search terms to find their needs; this search term could be a group of searchable keywords.

Online Trademark Infringement

This type of infringement conducted by search engines companies like Google and Yahoo, when they sell keywords.Infringement occurs when the sold Keywords are trademarks for another Companies.

Keywording and Online Advertising

Linking

Supposed to take you towww.vw.com

Click to view the new Volkswagen

Linking

BUT !!

Linking

It took you to somewhere else has nothing to do

with the new Volkswagen !!! and they used the Volkswagen name to

attract you

Linking

Links are used in the website to make the Internet browsers to skip from one page to Another inside the same website, or from one website to another inside the internet.

Domain Name InfringementOne of the forms of trademark infringement in Cyberspace and it could take one of the the following different forms:

• Cyber Squatting

• Typo Squatting

• Cyber smearing

Domain Name InfringementCyber Squatting

Is the act of registering a popular domainName related to popular trademark with badfaith intent to profit from the goodwill of atrademark belonging to someone else –usually a company– in intent to sell It to therightful owner

Example of Cyber Squatting Case• WIPO Case Number: D2003-0066

• Domain name(s):

– talalabughazaleh.com– talalabughazaleh.org– talalabughazaleh.net– aldarauditbureau.com

Example of Cyber Squatting Case• Complainant:

– Talal Abu-Ghazaleh International– Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co– Abu Ghazaleh Intellectual Property– Aldar Audit Bureau

Amman – Jordan

• Respondent : Fadi Mahassel , CA - USA

Example of Cyber Squatting - 2The Decision:

The Panel decides, in accordance with theUDRP, Paragraph 4, that the domain names alalabughazaleh.com, talalbaughazaleh.org,talalabughazaleh.net, Aldrauditbureau.comshould be transferred forthwith to theComplainants or such of them as they may nominate.

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2001/d2001-0907.html

Domain Name InfringementMore examples on Cyber Squatting:

• www.marlboro.com• www.harrods.tv

Domain Name InfringementTypo Squatting

Is a form of cyber squatting which relies onthe chances that a person who enters awebsite address into a web browser willaccidentally enter an incorrect websiteaddress and be led to an alternative addresswhich the cybersquatter owns.

Example of Typo Squatting Case• WIPO Case Number: D2003-0066

• Domain name(s): wwwshell.com

• Complainant:– Shell International Petroleum Company

Ltd.– Shell Trademark Management B.V.

• Respondent: Best Domain

Example of Cyber Squatting - 2

The Decision:

In accordance with Paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the Domain Name be transferred to the Complainant Shell International Petroleum Company Limited.

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2003/d2003-0066.html

Domain Name Infringement

More Examples on Typo Squatting:

• wwwshell.com• Ammazon.com• Mcrosoft.com• Yahooo.com

Domain Name Infringement

Cyber Smearing:

Registering a trademark as a domain name to express the dissatisfaction with a product or service provided by a certain corporation.

Example of Cyber Smearing Case• WIPO Case Number D2001-1195

• Domain name(s): philipssucks.com

• Complainant:Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V

• Respondent: Seo Kim

Example of Cyber Smearing - 2

The Decision:

The Panel decides that the domain name <philipssucks.com> should be transferred to the Complainant.

http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2001/d2001-1195.html

Domain Name Infringement

Examples on Cyber Smearing :

• www.cocacolasucks.us• www.ihatetoyota.com• www.microsoftsucks.com

Domain Name InfringementLegal ResolutionAll domain name cases bad faith suspected Registration are resolved using:

Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)“WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center”

Process Developed by Internet Corporationfor assigned names and numbers.

Domain Name Infringement

OR

Anticybersquatting Consumer ProtectionAct (ACPA).

Protection of Trademark in Cyberspace

To ensure the maximum protection for trademarks in cyberspace we have to combine between the technology and the law.

Protection of Trademark in Cyberspace

Technology provides precautionary protection for trademarks infringement.

Law provides pragmatic and remedial protection after the occurrence of the infringement in the cyberspace

Intellectual Property Rights Infringement in Cyberspace

Thank you.