By Luo Yanjie

According to a news report, Apple filed arbitration in June over “iPad 3.com” in WIPO, and claimed the adjudication to grant it the domain name. So far as is known this week, Apple is said to have received the internet address, and the registration information of iPad 3.com, and has now been updated, transferred from Global Access to Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton; the law firm entrusted by Apple.

The development and popularity of the Internet has increased the weight of domain names to the companies, especially for those engaged in the Internet industry and to them the domain name is playing the main role in propaganda with the replacement of trademark to some extent. Therefore, the domain name has been one of the main battlegrounds of the Internet or IT companies, and that thereby has brought many disputes. Due to the fact that the domain name is unified in global standard, the dispute concerning the domain name could be mainly settled in arbitrations (like Apple did in the case above, while it’s a little different from the contractual arbitration as specified below) and lawsuits. Now, we would like to introduce you how these two settlement methods applied in China: