LONDON — An arbitrator ruled today for the operators of adult tube site xHamster.com, handing over to the company the xHamster-Video.com domain name in a cybersquatting claim.
The holder of the domain name xHamster-Video.com registered the site in 2012 and offered adult tube site fare, similar to xHamster’s menu of offerings. The site’s operator registered the site using private registration and did not respond to claims in the case.
After looking at the facts, arbitrator Dawn Osborne ruled for xHamster.com’s parent company, Hammy Media Ltd., finding the disputed domain name was confusingly similar to xHamster.com’s trademark, that the respondent had no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name, and that the domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.
“The panel holds that respondent has intentionally attempted to attract for commercial gain internet users to his website by creating likelihood of confusion with complainant’s trademarks as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of the website. This also appears designed to disrupt the business of a competitor,” wrote Osborne in her order to transfer the site to Hammy Media.
For xHamster.com’s operators, the xHamster-Video.com domain name is just one of the many websites that have been identified as cybersquatters.
Through the past few years, Hammy Media has been victorious over other domains, as well, including xHamster.one, xHamsterHQ.com, xHamster9.com, xHamsterMania.com, xHamster-Deutsch.com and xHamster-Deutsch.com, xHampster.com, xHamsterDeutsch.biz and xHamsterDeutsch.net. Each of them were transferred to Hammy Media.