Cyber Squatting up but now a less remunerative business.

Cyber Squatting- where a person sets up a site using a trademarked name and profits by selling the name to the owner has reached a record level.

Complaints against cyber squatting registered an increase of 48% in 2006 over 2005 and of 18% in 2007 against 2006. This cyber squatting remains a big concern for businesses and intellectual property holders.

Most victims of cyber squatting are large industrial units in phrama, FMCG, consumer goods, banking, retail and entertainment industries. Pharmaceutical makers remained the top filers due to multiple permutations of protected names registered for web sites offering or linking to online sales of medications and drugs.

The good part about cyber squatting is that WIPO, a body that helps settle cyber squatting complaints, settled about 25% of the cases without a panel decision. Only about 15% of the cases were dismissed as false. Which is a great development, even assuming all cases were true. It should not be forgotten that the extent of cyber squatting has reached to an extent that no reputed Hollywood or Bollywood (Indian Cinema) is able to get the domain name in the name of movie as cyber squatters get the name booked just the time movie is being conceptualized. The producers need to content themselves with mutiliated version of the name only.

Another noticeable trend is that most complaints are from Britain, Germany, France and US. That means, consumers in Asian countries are yet to get aware about their rights.

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