32Red in another domain victory

Online gambling operator 32Red.com has won another World Intellectual Property Organization domain dispute, forcing the San Pablo, California-based company Baysound LLC to surrender the domain 32x.com.

Baysound bought the 32x domain in 2006, but its intention to use it on an online casino related enterprise was sufficient to motivate 32Red to launch an action.

The Domains.com information site reported this week that a three member Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) panel ruled against Baysound on grounds that the 32x domain used in the context of online gambling is “identical or confusingly similar” to the trademark holder of 32Red.

Among the allegations against Baysound was the interesting note that the 32x-The Online Casino website included links to the complainant’s competitors such as 888.com and Party Poker.

“The Panel is satisfied that the complainant has clearly established registered rights in the trade marks 32RED and 32,” the panel found.

“The Panel also concludes that the actual use of the Domain Name was in bad faith as the website has links to the competitors of the complainant.”

In a high profile case in London last year 32Red was successful before both the High Court and an Appeal Court when it took trademark and domain action against rival gambling group William Hill plc over the latter’s use of the 32Vegas and 32V trademarks.

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