The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will consider UDRPs concerning the domain names Tokyo2021.com, Tokyo2021.org and Tokyo2021.cn filed by the Organizing Committee of the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Summer Olympics were supposed to open in the capital of Japan in July 2020, but due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the games have been postponed until 2021.
All three domains were probably registered by different registrants just before the decision to postpone the games was made, in late February and early March. Obviously, the domain names were registered with an eye on the postponing of the Olympics, however, it will be difficult to prove this, according to Domain Investing. Formally, it must be proven that a domain name is identical or confusingly similar to the name of a protected trademark and is being used or can be used for illegal purposes. But none of the domains mentions the Olympics, and the name of the Japanese capital in combination with the year is definitely not a brand.
As for use for illegal purposes, this is also hard to prove. Currently Tokyo2021.com is not responding, Tokyo2021.cn is up for sale, and when clicking onTokyo2021.org, there is only a brief notice that the Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021. Nevertheless, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has an abundant and successful history of settling disputes with cyber-squatters. And it is likely that its legal council will find the necessary arguments to gain control over these domains.
