A domain registry operator doesn’t have standing to challenge the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s trademark registration of “Adventist,” the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled.
To petition the board to cancel a trademark registration, a plaintiff must show it has a real interest in the proceeding and a reasonable belief of damage. Philanthropist.com Inc., which owns adventist.com, failed to show how it would be harmed by the church’s trademark, the board found in a precedential opinion.
Philanthropist.com registers domain names and offers them for sale. It acquired adventist.com for $8,811 and offered to sell it for $120,000.
The General Conference ...
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