The registrant of Goat.com operates the domain as a “greatest of all time” acronym on quality footwear.
They have an active trademark for GOAT, registered at the USPTO in 2016. At the end of 2016, Goat.com appears to have been sold by its previous owner for an undisclosed amount.
Goat.com filed two UDRP cases against the owners of the domains, GoatsCompany.com and GoatShoeCare.com.
They only won the first one, and here’s why.
In the first case, the Respondent appears to have created a business to capitalize on the Complainant’s famous brand. They were selling footwear with the “goats” mark.
In the second case, the Respondent’s products, although related to shoes, are about cleaning kits – not exactly a match for the Complainant’s mark.
This shows how far a famous mark such as GOAT can reach, or fail to achieve the desired outcome. Domain UDRP cases depend a lot on attorney representation, the particular circumstances, and the panelists involved.
Read the UDRP decision for GoatsCompany.com that was granted transfer, and the one about GoatShoeCare.com that was denied.
Goat – greatest of all time acronym – Photo by Florian van Duyn on Unsplash
