BARON PHILIPPE DE ROTHSCHILD WINS CORKING DOMAIN CASE

19th November, 2002

Bordeaux-based fine wine producer Baron Philippe de Rothschild has won an action under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) after the panellist ruled the respondent's demands for cases of wine in payment for the transfer of the domains amounted to a registration in bad faith. 

The domain names - chateaumoutonrothschild.com, chateau-moutonrothschild.com, chateaumouton-rothschild.com and chateau-mouton-rothschild.com were registered by Nick Gebbie of East Sussex. Although offered £50 per domain name to cover his out-of-pocket registration costs, Gebbie refused to hand them over, complaining that he "was expecting some form of discretionary reward" adding that "I do not think that £50 per name is a fair offer".

Unusually - unlike many alleged domain squatters - Gebbie was prepared to settle for wine rather than money, saying in further correspondence "due to my great interest and enthusiasm in Bordeaux wines, I would be very interested in negotiating to receive a certain number of cases of wine in exchange for the domain names". 

However, in his decision the panellist noted that "demanded consideration does not have to be monetary in nature, but can be anything of value that exceeds the amount spent in registering and maintaining the domain name." Combined with the respondent's obvious knowledge of wine in general and specifically the Rothschild brands, the panellist agreed with the complainant that the domains had been registered in bad faith and ordered them to be transferred. 

Details at: http://www.demys.net/news/02_nov_19_wine.htm