Forbes Finally Gets Forbes.ru in Russia

In July 2010, the American business magazine Forbes finally became the owner of the Forbes.ru domain name in Russia, seven months after winning a domain name infringement case against a Russian cyber squatter who had been illegally using it.

In January 2010, the Moscow Arbitration Court ruled against the Russian travel agency Landmark VIP Services for the unauthorized use of the magazine’s trademark and ordered the defendant to pay USD 300,000 (EUR 212,000) in damages, the highest compensation ever awarded in Russia in a domain infringement case.

Landmark VIP Services however appealed and won a right to annul the court’s decision. Forbes then filed a counter-appeal but has in the meantime reached a private agreement with the travel agency, whose managing director says it transferred the domain “as a gesture of goodwill”. It is not mentioned whether the private settlement involved a payment from Forbes.

The Russian edition of Forbes had been using the alternative domain name forbesrussia.ru since November 10, 2009, when its Russian website was launched.

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

Source: Forbes.ru