[ga] Unfair?

["Randy Canis" <rlc@greensfelder.com>]

A client comes into your office with a new business, product, or service.  The client selects a name for a trademark or service mark and requests a search.  You receive the search, and after reviewing the search and determining that the mark is available, you then register for the mark.  Then the client asks "What domain names should we register?"

Under the current laws, that is a difficult question to answer.  The Uniform Dispute Policy is admittedly very limited in scope, and it appears that the maximum relief available is the cost of the dispute (not including attorney's fees) and transfer of the domain name.    

I believe it is unfair that clients (both big and small) will have to pay $500 or more per dispute (in WIPO fees alone) to "settle" a dispute.  I also don't think a client should have to register every possible name variation, misspelling, or abbreviation to protect themselves from future harm.

I have created a list of forty suggested alternative marks (listed below) which a client may also want to consider registering.  If you consider .org, .net, foreign countries, etc. the amount of domain names registered to protect your client's mark could be absolutely staggering.   

Randy L Canis
Attorney and Webmaster (ZakkWylde.com & BrianTichy.com)

Example Mark - "name"

· name.com
· e-name.com
· ename.com
· i-name.com
· iname.com
· namenet.com
· name-net.com
· nameinet.com
· name-inet.com
· nameweb.com
· name-web.com
· nameonline.com
· name-online.com
· shopname.com
· shop-name.com
· nameusa.com
· name-usa.com
· buyname.com
· buy-name.com
· tradename.com
· trade-name.com
· sell-name.com
· ibuyname.com
· i-buy-name.com
· ibuy-name.com
· i-buyname.com
· wwwname.com
· interactivename.com
· interactive-name.com
· name-store.com
· namestore.com
· name-direct.com
· namedirect.com
· namenow.com
· name-now.com
· name2k.com
· name2000.com (or any other year that may be significant)
· nameareus.com (depending on product, see Toys "R" Us Inc. v Feinberg)
· ihatename.com
· namesucks.com