Rain.com enters arbitration.
If it seems like it has been raining frivolous domain arbitration disputes lately, then this should catch your eye: someone has filed to get the domain name Rain.com.
You read that correctly — Rain.com.
The case was filed Tuesday at National Arbitration Forum. Unlike WIPO, National Arbitration Forum doesn’t list the name of the complainant until a decision has been rendered.
But we know plenty about the domain owner, hosting company Verio. Verio purchased RAINet, Inc. in 1996. With that acquisition came the domain name Rain.com, which was originally registered way back in 1990. Rain.com currently shows a Verio landing page.
Unless someone knows something I don’t, then the identity of the complainant will remain a mystery for another month or two. There are plenty of trademarks for the term “rain”, but this isn’t one I’m willing to guess about.
Johnny says
You know what really is even a whole lot more ridiculous than this UDRP?
It is the National Arbitration Forum allowing this case to proceed to UDRP. The NAF needs a good fat lawsuit against them for allowing these cases to go to UDRP just so they can make the fees. And, the more ridiculous cases they let through, all the more UDRP filings arise from the bastardized process , and the more money NAF makes from the free-for-all UDRP system where nothing is rejected from proceeding forward.
I’m ready for a class action lawsuit against the National Arbitration Forum. I’m a victim of the NAF just like the owners of Rain.com.
The NAF is a racket. It needs to be busted up in a nasty lawsuit.
Domain Investor says
There are over 1,000 live or applied for TMs containing the word – rain.
I went to http://www.rain.com but could not imagine how Verio might be infringing on a TM.
I didn’t check. Is there a TM for
Rain on AOL.
Maybe, it is AOL?
🙂
jorge says
It’s a typo for RAN.COM, obviously. 😉
David J Castello says
It’s a typo for my favorite TV network: RAI 🙂
Zeus says
I, Zeus, Greek Lord of the Sky and the God of Rain filed the suit.
I figure if AOL can try, so can I.
Now where did I leave my umbrella?
Mike Rodenbaugh says
It would be helpful to have a list of egregious ‘domain hijacking’ cases, it might even assist in policy development at ICANN. Does such a list exist somewhere?
Andrew Allemann says
@ Mike Rodenbaugh,
UDRPsearch.com has functionality to flag RDNH and “Worst” cases. We’d just need to get a bunch of people to participate.
Domain Investor says
I figured it out. Since, the buzz word in the server business is “cloud”.
http://www.hostingcon.com/2009/sessions/
Maybe, by pointing rain.com towards Verio’s site displaying servers, it is infringing on a “cloud” TM.
???
I guess whomever owns lightning.com, sunny.com, hail.com and snow.com better look out.
gpmgroup says
@ Mike Rodenbaugh,
Perhaps it would be worth considering a process of appeal where respondents whom had initially lost could pay a UDRP fee and have the decision reviewed by different panelist in order to remove any doubt or perception of individual panelist bias without the cost of having to challenge in a court of law, which may prove prohibitive for some respondents.
drago says
it could be the korean band Rain, they are pretty famous in asia !!