RDNH finding for Vodex.com.
Imagine registering a domain in 1999 and being challenged about its ownership almost 17 years later.
That’s exactly what happened to the owner of Vodex.com, who led his company to a series of successful acquisitions by tech industry giants.
According to a UDRP filed at the WIPO, the Respondent used Vodex used for a voice recognition software technology that he developed. His company was acquired by AOL in 2001, but that he retained rights to the name Vodex.
He used Vodex again in 2004 at a new company he co-founded called Teleo; after Teleo was acquired by Microsoft, he retained the rights to the Vodex name and technology.
The Complainant, on the other hand, obtained a registered trademark in November 2015, a full 16 years after the domain was registered. In their trademark application, they claimed first use in 2009.
In his decision, the sole panelist stated that the domain Vodex.com should remain with the Respondent; he also slapped the Complainant with a finding of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking, as their UDRP filing was without merit.
For the full text of the UDRP click here.
