The Indian law offer protection to infringing use of domain names and have been proactive in granting orders in the regard. Here are some of the recent cases:
- www.yahoo.com vs. www.yahooindia.com
- www.rediff.com vs. www.radiff.com
In the www.yahoo.com case it has been held that the domain name serves the same function as a trademark, and is not a mere address or like finding number on the internet, and therefore, it is entitled to equal protection as a trademark. It was further held that a domain name is more than a mere Internet address for it also identifies the Internet site to those who reach it, much like a person’s name identifies a particular person or more relevant to trade mark disputes, a company’s name identifies a specific company.
