IBM files first Uniform Rapid Suspension case for new TLDs

Company wants IBM.guru and IBM.ventures domain names suspended.

IBM has filed what I believe is the first dispute under Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) for new top level domain names.

The company filed a complaint with National Arbitration Forum for the domain names ibm.guru and ibm.ventures.

Both domains were registered on January 31 at a premium during the Early Access Program phase of the .guru and .ventures domain launches. The domains were registered with whois privacy, which was lifted as a result of the URS filings.

URS is meant to be a faster, cheaper version of the UDRP. The complainant does not get control of the domain names in the event of a win; instead the domain names are just suspended.

Given that the URS is supposed to require a “slam dunk” case, I’m quite curious how this one will be decided. Does IBM have additional proof that the registrant was targeting the technology company by registering these domains than the domains merely matching “IBM”? There are four claims IBM can make, but it needs to be a slam dunk for it to prevail.

IBM has now protected itself from these types of registrations by purchasing Donuts’ Domains Protected Marks List product, but apparently it bought it after ibm.guru and .ventures were registered.

URS was previously used in one case involving a .pw domain name, but .pw isn’t really a new TLD.