Domain goes through UDRP for a second time.
Future Media Architects (FMA) has won another UDRP, this time for the generic four character domain name Veda.com. That FMA won is not a surprise, but the history of this domain name and some of the complainant’s accusations make this case more interesting.
Complainant VEDA GmbH actually won a UDRP for Veda.com back in 2003. But it failed to take ownership of the domain name after it won and FMA bought the domain name instead. VEDA GmbH claims that a former employee made a mistake on the transfer. Yet it waited a stunning seven years before deciding to try to rectify this.
Then, instead of contacting FMA about the matter, it simply filed a UDRP. After FMA called the complainant out on this, the complainant explained:
Complainant did not contact Respondent, because information on the Internet made it clear that Respondent is not a legitimate business entity but merely a commercial domain-grabber who would never have willingly transferred the domain name.
VEDA GmbH, an IT company, said that FMA was trying to take business from it by forwarding Veda.com to FMA.com, where FMA allegedly offers web development services. Of course FMA doesn’t actually offer web development services to anyone — FMA has plenty of money and wouldn’t bother developing web sites for other people. The “Web Development” tab on its web site merely shows domain names it has developed.
The complainant then took a jab at FMA’s developed web sites, calling them Potemkin villages.
Ultimately the panel found the domain name wasn’t registered and used in bad faith.
jp says
Potemkinvillages.com is available. It will make an excellent name for a parking company. (the singular version was taken)
Mike says
What a perfect description of those “developed” websites. I had never heard of Potemkin Villages before. Nylon Art Explored for NLA.com is classic. These sites are made to keep UDRP cases away. Leaving the parking money on the table to keep trouble at bay. This may be the way to go at this point. Parking pays next to nothing and you risk losing your domain for a few dollars. I wonder if Veda.com had been parked, if the outcome would have been different.
Domainer Extraordinaire says
FMA must be an experiment. Is it possible to spend a fortune on domain names and not make a cent in revenue? No way anyone could accuse him of profiting off a TM.