Forbes Wins Domain Name Forbes.ru and USD 300,000 in Damages

American business magazine Forbes and its Russian publisher Axel Springer Russia won a case against a Russian travel agency Landmark VIP Services, which has been using the domain name forbes.ru, and received a record USD 300,000 (EUR 212,000) in damages, the magazine announced on January 15, 2010 on its website.

The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled against the travel agency for unauthorized use of the magazine’s trademark and ordered the defendant to pay the highest compensation ever awarded in Russia in a domain name case.

Landmark VIP Services, which still has not taken down its website, registered forbes.ru domain name back in 2002. It is currently promoting cruises to the Antarctica on the homepage of its website, where it is also implied that its domain name is in honor of the 19th-century Scottish scientist James David Forbes, known for his study of glaciers.

Russian edition of Forbes has been using the alternative domain name forbesrussia.ru since November 10, 2009, when its Russian website was launched. Forbes hopes to register the forbes.ru domain name soon.

“I am very glad that Russia’s judicial system is following global standards of protection of intellectual property,” stated Regina von Flemming, CEO of Axel Springer Russia.

Grigory Punanov, editor in chief of forbesrussia.ru, was also pleased with the trial’s outcome. “We have fought for a long time for our legitimate right to use the domain name forbes.ru. I hope the court decision will enter into force soon and that our site will be located precisely at that address.”

For more information, please contact Jelena Jankovic in our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: Forbes Russia website