On a second front, trademark holders are fighting each other over the same trademark. These battles are becoming fiercer by the day. Fueling these conflicts is a growing recognition of the critical importance of domain names for surviving the Internet revolution. As a result, the corporate battle over domain names has the potential of becoming a new-era trade dispute. The mishandling of these problems today may well lead to more serious global disputes tomorrow.
Domain names are the addresses for networked computers.
They provide the addresses for websites. A domain name is a critical part of creating a comprehensive strategy for the Internet, which is necessary for the survival of most companies in today s hyper-competitive marketplace. It is a highly valuable, but intangible property right reflecting the central place of intellectual property in the global Internet revolution. The value of domain names has skyrocketed as firms from the new economy and, belatedly, those from the old economy have recognized the critical importance of branding in cyberspace. This surprising development tracks the explosive growth of Internet usage, E-commerce and web hosting.