Grant and Shawna developed a new and exciting invention which they called the "Zlackerblogf". They incorporated "Zlackerblogf Industries Ltd." to be responsible for the manufacture and sale of this revolutionary new product. After years of success, they decided to sell their product online. When time came to register "zlackerblogf.com", however, they discovered that the domain name had already been taken by Curlicue Developments Inc., a major competitor. Which of the following is true?
A) If Curlicue Developments Inc. obtained the domain name to prevent their competitor from using it, this does not undermine Curlicue's claim to the name; it merely demonstrates that Curlicue is a crafty competitor.
B) Zlackerblogf Industries Ltd. does not need to worry; because of the nature of the Internet, the same domain name can be used by more than one entity.
C) Curlicue Developments Inc.'s registered domain name could be used as a defence to any allegation of trademark infringement.
D) Although Curlicue Developments Inc. may have acted improperly, once a domain name has been issued, it cannot later be rescinded.
E) The dispute over the domain name could be dealt with by dispute resolution mechanisms in place to resolve exactly this kind of domain name conflict.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best option is E, which suggests that dispute resolution mechanisms could be used to deal with the conflict over the domain name. This is because domain name disputes are common, and there are mechanisms in place to resolve them fairly and efficiently. Option A is incorrect because it suggests that Curlicue Developments Inc.'s improper conduct does not affect its claim to the domain name, which is not necessarily true. Option B is incorrect because it suggests that multiple businesses can use the same domain name, which is not allowed under current Internet regulations. Option C is incorrect because registering a domain name does not offer protection against allegations of trademark infringement. Option D is incorrect because domain names can be rescinded under certain circumstances, such as when they are found to have been obtained fraudulently.

Grant and Shawna Developed a New and Exciting Invention Which