Google Search Engine Wins Domain Arbitration Case

National Arbitration Forum rules in favour of Google (web's #1 search engine) regarding rights to googkle.com, ghoogle.com, gfoogle.com and gooigle.com

Google Inc., represented by Rose A. Hagan, filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum on May 11, 2005 asserting legal rights to the Web addresses bearing close resemblance to Google.com. Ruling in Google's favor, National Arbitration Forum arbitrator Paul A. Dorf found that the other party, Sergey Gridasov, registered the googkle.com and ghoogle.com on December 30, 2000 and the domain names gfoogle.com and gooigle.com on January 12, 2001 - after Google registered its domain in late 1999.

The other party was also using the disputed domain names to direct Internet users to Web sites that attempt to download viruses, trojan horses and spyware to the users' computers. The disputed domain names contain links to various products unrelated to Google. The arbitrator found that Gridasov did not have legitimate rights to the Web addresses, and the Web addresses were confusingly similar to Google's trademark rights to its own name. The arbitrator also found that Gridasov was using them in bad faith by presumably profiting from the use of domains.

The National Arbitration Forum is a provider of alternative dispute resolution solutions, including arbitration and mediation, representing a distinguished panel of over 1,500 attorneys and retired judges in the U.S. and in 29 countries.