The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has issued a decision through a three-member panel on a Uniform Domain Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) complaint filed by UpTerra Corporation. However, although UpTerra Corporation's name matched exactly with the domain name, its prospects for success were slim from the outset. This was because the registrant, Catchword, a prominent branding agency, had secured the domain long before UpTerra Corporation's establishment and subsequent trademark application.
Furthermore, initially, UpTerra Corporation attempted to purchase the domain, but found the registrant's price of $18,500 to be excessive, prompting it to pursue "Plan B." In its complaint, UpTerra Corporation argued that the domain, although registered earlier than the trademark, had been acquired by Catchword just recently, potentially indicating bad faith. However, this claim was false and could have been easily refuted with a Whois History lookup.
Upon receiving a letter from the registrant highlighting this point, UpTerra Corporation attempted to withdraw its complaint. Catchword, however, declined, asserting that the complainant's bad faith necessitated proper review. The matter was swiftly resolved: according to Domain Name Wire, WIPO arbitration found UpTerra Corporation guilty of attempting reverse domain name hijacking.
