Case Number: D2024-2888
Complainant: Sipchem Europe S.A.
Represented by: Watson Farley & Williams (Middle East) LLP
A Swiss-subsidiary of a Saudi petrochemical company has been found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking after attempting to use the UDRP process to force the transfer of the domain sichem.com. The firm, Sipchem Europe S.A., argued the domain was confusingly similar to trademarks it held for the mark, “SIPCHEM”, an acronym for Saudi International Petrochemical Company.
While the panel at the World Intellectual Property Organization, comprised of a sole member in this proceeding, agreed there was confusing similarity, the domain’s owner, a European industrial paints supplier called vanBaerle Silicates Holding AG, which recently changed its name to Sichem AG, a name derived from the holdings company of a family partner, Sichem Holding AG.
The panelist, Tobias Zuberbühler, handed up a ruling of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking against Sipchem Europe on September 10, 2024.
Source: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/pdf/2024/d2024-2888.pdf