Bulgarian Company Fined for Domain Infringement

The Bulgarian Antitrust Commission has recently imposed a fine of almost EUR 200,000 (USD 283,000) on a Sofia-based company for using a domain name confusingly similar to that of another company.

The legal proceedings were initiated by Ataro Klima Ltd., a producer of air-conditioning and ventilation installations from Plovdiv, a town in central Bulgaria.

Ataro Klima Ltd. argued that its competitor, Sofia-based Tangra – AV Ltd., had registered and used domain www.ataro-klima.com, which is confusingly similar to its own domain www.ataro.bg. Such use had caused confusion among consumers and had damaged its business.

The disputed domain was shot down.

For more information, please contact Milena Bogoslovova in our Bulgaria Office.