<h3 class="entrytitle" id="post-21095"><a href="http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/06/new-tld-trademark-eu/">http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/06/new-tld-trademark-eu/</a></h3><h3 class="entrytitle" id="post-21095">New gTLD hopefuls play trademark games in EU, too </h3>
<h2 class="entrydate">Friday, April 6th, 2012 </h2>
<p><strong>French lawyer with ICANN, NAF, and WIPO connections helps new TLD applicants file trademarks for prospective top level domains.</strong></p>
<p>I’ve chronicled many of the attempts by new gTLD hopefuls to “frontrun” trademarks for new TLDs in the United States. Here are <a href="http://domainnamewire.com/2012/01/25/115-top-level-domain-trademarks/">115 examples</a>.</p>
<p>But that’s just in the U.S. system. And it’s not a huge threat since
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is rejecting these applications.</p>
<p>Yet there’s some trademarking activity in the European Union as well.</p>
<p>One of the prolific filers is Constantine Roussos, who is behind one of the .music initiatives. </p>
<p>Back in 2009 he successfully registered two stylized trademarks for
dot music with the Trade Marks and Design Registrations Office of the
European Union. He later tried to file a similar one in the U.S. but was
<a href="http://domainnamewire.com/2011/06/14/u-s-shuns-music-trademark-ahead-of-new-tld-launch/">rebuffed</a>. </p>
<p>While ICANN doesn’t care about existing “dot” trademarks, it’s
possible these trademarks will cause TLDs to get tied up in the courts. </p>
<p>In 2010 Roussos <a href="http://domainnamewire.com/2010/07/21/music-initiative-says-it-will-use-trademarks-to-block-competitors/">commented</a> to ICANN:</p>
<blockquote><p>Rest assured that if we, as .MUSIC are faced with the
possibility of being gamed and abused in a manner that we find illegal,
we will use our trademarks and other means necessary to do what we have
to do to protect ourselves and our respective community. While
trademarks alone should not be the sole determinant of earning a TLD, it
is the only means we have of protection, since ICANN has not
incorporated any mechanisms to prevent TLD applicant abuse, gaming and
unfair piggybacking from other initiatives.</p></blockquote>
<p>Now it’s not just .music Roussos is after. He has filed 21 additional
applications since December 30. They all have stylized logos like
these:</p>
<p><img src="http://domainnamewire.com/wp-content/roussos.jpg" alt="" title="roussos" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21096" height="286" width="475"></p>
<p>The graphical mark applications cover these domains:</p>
<p>.cool<br>
.hot<br>
.love<br>
.doctor<br>
.blog<br>
.app<br>
.lawyer<br>
.attorney<br>
.artist<br>
.video<br>
.movie<br>
.tunes<br>
.store<br>
.song<br>
.property<br>
.online<br>
.mus<br>
.law<br>
.home<br>
.film<br>
.fashion</p>
<p>French intellectual property law firm Dreyfus & Associes assisted
Roussos with the applications. If the name of the firm rings a bell,
that’s because the firm was founded by Nathalie Dreyfus. She’s a member
of ICANN’s At-Large Advisory Committee. (This is according to <a href="http://icannwiki.com/index.php/Nathalie_Dreyfus">ICANNWiki</a>. ICANN’s ALAC membership page currently is a 404 error, so I haven’t confirmed she’s still a member.)</p>
<p>Dreyfus doesn’t just help companies file trademarks. She also assists with UDRP complaints. Oh, and <a href="http://www.domainarts.com/2011/10/21/my-personal-trainer-registers-sofitdc-com-receives-cd-from-sofitel-sent-by-a-wipo-panelist/">she’s also a UDRP panelist</a>. </p>
<p>Her firm isn’t just helping Roussos with trademarks. It also helped new TLD applicant <a href="http://www.startingdot.com/">StartingDot</a>
file a bunch of trademark applications in the European Union this year.
Many of them include a stylized logo similar to Roussos’ marks.</p>
<p>dot Luxe<br>
dot Restau<br>
dot Sport<br>
dot Moto<br>
dot Auto<br>
dot Vet<br>
dot archi<br>
dot design<br>
dot bio<br>
dot immo<br>
dot ski</p>
<p>(Dreyfus & Associes is listed as the representative on only some of these.)</p>
<p>Let the games continue.</p>