Cybersquatting at an all time high: Says WIPO

The latest World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) statistics reveal that the number of domain name disputes have continued to climb to record heights, with 3,074 cases filed in 2017.

Top Industries for Complaints Filed

The top three industries by number of complaints filed were Banking and Finance; Fashion; and Internet and IT. Together these sectors accounted for almost one-third of all cybersquatting disputes handled in 2017.  The top filers in the Banking and Finance industry were Zions Bank, Credit Karma and Natixis. The top filers in the Fashion industry were Golden Goose, ASOS and L’Oréal. The top filers in the Internet and IT industry were Chatroulette, Accenture and Facebook. WIPO reported that almost one-third of the banking and finance-related cases contained assertions of fraud, phishing or scam – the highest rate across all business sectors.

Identity theft was also asserted in almost two out of every five banking and finance cases. The statistics also revealed that over one-third of fashion-related cases contained assertions of counterfeiting – the second highest rate across all business sectors.

Top Countries by Filing

The top countries by number of cases filed in 2017 were the USA, France, the UK, Germany and Switzerland. In total, parties from 112 countries were involved in cases filed in 2017.

With the growing number cybersquatting disputes, brand owners must be proactive in preventing the unauthorised and/or fraudulent use of their brands. Cooper Mills offers expert domain name dispute services. Feel free to contact us today.