Automobili Lamborghini, an Italian manufacturer of elite sports cars, has once again asserted its rights to the Lambo.com domain. The disputes surrounding it have been dragging on for several years, but this time they seem to be entering their final stretch. In 2018, Richard Blair, a domain investor, acquired Lambo.com for $10,000. Automobili Lamborghini responded in 2022 by filing a claim to this domain name under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) by arguing that many Lamborghini fans around the world refer to their cars as Lambo, which became something akin to a household brand.
Blair, in turn, tried proving that Lambo was his childhood nickname, and he also registered on NamePros, a forum for domain industry professionals, under the same nickname. However, having examined the claim in accordance with the UDRP, WIPO sided with Lamborghini in this dispute. Several factors determined this outcome. In fact, Blair was unable to produce any evidence showing that Lambo was indeed his childhood nickname. As for his NamePros account, he started using Lambo there after acquiring the domain. In addition to this, the fact that Richard Blair offered the Italian company to buy the domain for $75 million also affected the outcome.
Blair went to court to appeal WIPO’s decision, but the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona ruled that there were no grounds for canceling it. Blair then filed an appeal, and the proceedings ended last week. According to Domain Name Wire, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed the lower court’s ruling. In theory, Blair has the option of taking the case further, all the way to the US Supreme Court, while observers believe that there is every chance that Automobili Lamborghini gets Lambo.com.
