Don’t drink too much and forget to renew your domain.
In 2016, Rolls Wine forgot to renew their domain, RollsWine.com, and it entered the GoDaddy expired domains inventory.
An enterprising Chinese investor scooped the 1998 registration up, and wanted $10,000 dollars for it.
The former owners, that operate a wine import business, offered $2,000 but the registrant declined; a UDRP was thus filed.
Michael A. Albert, sole panelist at the WIPO, stated the following:
“Complainant provided evidence that the sole purpose of the disputed domain name is to advertise the sale of the disputed domain name. Complainant’s domain name service provider, Focus IT Services, attempted to negotiate with Respondent. The record shows that Respondent sought USD 10,000 for the disputed domain name and was unwilling to negotiate or to accept Complainant’s offer of USD 2,000. Respondent’s conduct constitutes bad faith registration and use of the disputed domain name.”
The domain RollsWine.com was ordered to be transferred to the Complainant, Robert Rolls & Co Limited of London, United Kingdom.
View the UDRP decision here.
