WIPO Arbitrators Put 'Gaydar' on Its Radar

GENEVA — It was an easy win before WIPO arbitrators for a gay dating site company that operates Gaydar, GaydarGirls and GaydarNation.

Gaydar's parent company, U.K.-based QSoft Consulting Ltd., had brought a complaint to WIPO over another a site with a similar name, GaydarMatch.com.

But the respondents — Vannessa Montes of New York and an online privacy protection firm — in the arbitration hearing never showed up before mediators, and QSoft was awarded the site.

GaydarMatch, records show, was used as a dating site prior to WIPO's decision, which was reached several months ago.

WIPO said that QSoft had all of its ducks in a row at the panel hearing, proving it operated a slew of "gaydar" type sites including Gaydar.eu, Gaydar.co.uk, Gaydar.us, Gaydarguys.com, Gaydar.net, GaydarNation.com, and GaydarRadio.com, and that it was proof the company is in the online dating game.

QSoft also owns eight European Community Trademark registrations as well as a trademark registration in Australia for the word "gaydar."

WIPO arbitarators said that QSoft " does have trademark rights in the mark" and "that the disputed domain name GaydarMatch.com, is confusingly similar to the complainant’s registered trademark 'Gaydar,' except for the addition of the word 'match.'"

The site, WIPO ruled, will be transferred to QSoft.