Media

Domain name dust-up settled in Australian first

ABC News - 13 Jan 2003
Marcus Priest

A Western Australian-based organisation has failed to win back the rights to an Internet domain name registered by a company in New South Wales.

The dispute, believed to be the first of its kind in Australia, centred on the domain name adra.com.au, formerly used by the Australian Drivers Rights Association based in Western Australia.

The organisation's rights to the name lapsed in July last year and the domain name was subsequently taken up by the Australian Dust Removalists Association in New South Wales.

The drivers' association took the matter to arbitration claiming the renewal of its rights to the name was not processed by the registrar, Melbourne IT at the time.

However the arbitrator, appointed by the Institute of Arbitrators & Mediators, ruled this was not sufficient reason for the name to be returned and that it should remain the property of the New South Wales company.

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