THIS SEARCH THIS DOCUMENT GO TO
Next Hit Forward New Bills Search
Prev Hit Back HomePage
Hit List Best Sections Help
Contents Display
S.1948
Intellectual Property and Communications Omnibus Reform Act of 1999
(Introduced in Senate)
TITLE III--TRADEMARK CYBERPIRACY PREVENTION
SEC. 3001. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES.
(a) SHORT TITLE- This title may be cited as the `Anticybersquatting
Consumer Protection Act'.
(b) REFERENCES TO THE TRADEMARK ACT OF 1946- Any reference in this title
to the Trademark Act of 1946 shall be a reference to the Act entitled `An Act
to provide for the registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce,
to carry out the provisions of certain international conventions, and for
other purposes', approved July 5, 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.).
SEC. 3002. CYBERPIRACY PREVENTION.
(a) IN GENERAL- Section 43 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1125)
is amended by inserting at the end the following:
`(d)(1)(A) A person shall be liable in a civil action by the owner of a
mark, including a personal name which is protected as a mark under this
section, if, without regard to the goods or services of the parties, that
person--
`(i) has a bad faith intent to profit from that mark, including a
personal name which is protected as a mark under this section; and
`(ii) registers, traffics in, or uses a domain name that--
`(I) in the case of a mark that is distinctive at the time of
registration of the domain name, is identical or confusingly similar to
that mark;
`(II) in the case of a famous mark that is famous at the time of
registration of the domain name, is identical or confusingly similar to or
dilutive of that mark; or
`(III) is a trademark, word, or name protected by reason of section
706 of title 18, United States Code, or section 220506 of title 36, United
States Code.
`(B)(i) In determining whether a person has a bad faith intent described
under subparagraph (A), a court may consider factors such as, but not limited
to--
`(I) the trademark or other intellectual property rights of the person,
if any, in the domain name;
`(II) the extent to which the domain name consists of the legal name of
the person or a name that is otherwise commonly used to identify that
person;
`(III) the person's prior use, if any, of the domain name in connection
with the bona fide offering of any goods or services;
`(IV) the person's bona fide noncommercial or fair use of the mark in a
site accessible under the domain name;
`(V) the person's intent to divert consumers from the mark owner's
online location to a site accessible under the domain name that could harm
the goodwill represented by the mark, either for commercial gain or with the
intent to tarnish or disparage the mark, by creating a likelihood of
confusion as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement of the
site;
`(VI) the person's offer to transfer, sell, or otherwise assign the
domain name to the mark owner or any third party for financial gain without
having used, or having an intent to use, the domain name in the bona fide
offering of any goods or services, or the person's prior conduct indicating
a pattern of such conduct;
`(VII) the person's provision of material and misleading false contact
information when applying for the registration of the domain name, the
person's intentional failure to maintain accurate contact information, or
the person's prior conduct indicating a pattern of such conduct;
`(VIII) the person's registration or acquisition of multiple domain
names which the person knows are identical or confusingly similar to marks
of others that are distinctive at the time of registration of such domain
names, or dilutive of famous marks of others that are famous at the time of
registration of such domain names, without regard to the goods or services
of the parties; and
`(IX) the extent to which the mark incorporated in the person's domain
name registration is or is not distinctive and famous within the meaning of
subsection (c)(1) of section 43.
`(ii) Bad faith intent described under subparagraph (A) shall not be found
in any case in which the court determines that the person believed and had
reasonable grounds to believe that the use of the domain name was a fair use
or otherwise lawful.
`(C) In any civil action involving the registration, trafficking, or use
of a domain name under this paragraph, a court may order the forfeiture or
cancellation of the domain name or the transfer of the domain name to the
owner of the mark.
`(D) A person shall be liable for using a domain name under subparagraph
(A) only if that person is the domain name registrant or that registrant's
authorized licensee.
`(E) As used in this paragraph, the term `traffics in' refers to
transactions that include, but are not limited to, sales, purchases, loans,
pledges, licenses, exchanges of currency, and any other transfer for
consideration or receipt in exchange for consideration.
`(2)(A) The owner of a mark may file an in rem civil action against a
domain name in the judicial district in which the domain name registrar,
domain name registry, or other domain name authority that registered or
assigned the domain name is located if--
`(i) the domain name violates any right of the owner of a mark
registered in the Patent and Trademark Office, or protected under subsection
(a) or (c); and
`(ii) the court finds that the owner--
`(I) is not able to obtain in personam jurisdiction over a person who
would have been a defendant in a civil action under paragraph (1);
or
`(II) through due diligence was not able to find a person who would
have been a defendant in a civil action under paragraph (1) by--
`(aa) sending a notice of the alleged violation and intent to
proceed under this paragraph to the registrant of the domain name at the
postal and e-mail address provided by the registrant to the registrar;
and
`(bb) publishing notice of the action as the court may direct
promptly after filing the action.
`(B) The actions under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall constitute service of
process.
`(C) In an in rem action under this paragraph, a domain name shall be
deemed to have its situs in the judicial district in which--
`(i) the domain name registrar, registry, or other domain name authority
that registered or assigned the domain name is located; or
`(ii) documents sufficient to establish control and authority regarding
the disposition of the registration and use of the domain name are deposited
with the court.
`(D)(i) The remedies in an in rem action under this paragraph shall be
limited to a court order for the forfeiture or cancellation of the domain name
or the transfer of the domain name to the owner of the mark. Upon receipt of
written notification of a filed, stamped copy of a complaint filed by the
owner of a mark in a United States district court under this paragraph, the
domain name registrar, domain name registry, or other domain name authority
shall--
`(I) expeditiously deposit with the court documents sufficient to
establish the court's control and authority regarding the disposition of the
registration and use of the domain name to the court; and
`(II) not transfer, suspend, or otherwise modify the domain name during
the pendency of the action, except upon order of the court.
`(ii) The domain name registrar or registry or other domain name authority
shall not be liable for injunctive or monetary relief under this paragraph
except in the case of bad faith or reckless disregard, which includes a
willful failure to comply with any such court order.
`(3) The civil action established under paragraph (1) and the in rem
action established under paragraph (2), and any remedy available under either
such action, shall be in addition to any other civil action or remedy
otherwise applicable.
`(4) The in rem jurisdiction established under paragraph (2) shall be in
addition to any other jurisdiction that otherwise exists, whether in rem or in
personam.'.
(b) CYBERPIRACY PROTECTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS-
(A) CIVIL LIABILITY- Any person who registers a domain name that
consists of the name of another living person, or a name substantially and
confusingly similar thereto, without that person's consent, with the
specific intent to profit from such name by selling the domain name for
financial gain to that person or any third party, shall be liable in a
civil action by such person.
(B) EXCEPTION- A person who in good faith registers a domain name
consisting of the name of another living person, or a name substantially
and confusingly similar thereto, shall not be liable under this paragraph
if such name is used in, affiliated with, or related to a work of
authorship protected under title 17, United States Code, including a work
made for hire as defined in section 101 of title 17, United States Code,
and if the person registering the domain name is the copyright owner or
licensee of the work, the person intends to sell the domain name in
conjunction with the lawful exploitation of the work, and such
registration is not prohibited by a contract between the registrant and
the named person. The exception under this subparagraph shall apply only
to a civil action brought under paragraph (1) and shall in no manner limit
the protections afforded under the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1051
et seq.) or other provision of Federal or State law.
(2) REMEDIES- In any civil action brought under paragraph (1), a court
may award injunctive relief, including the forfeiture or cancellation of the
domain name or the transfer of the domain name to the plaintiff. The court
may also, in its discretion, award costs and attorneys fees to the
prevailing party.
(3) DEFINITION- In this subsection, the term `domain name' has the
meaning given that term in section 45 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15
U.S.C. 1127).
(4) EFFECTIVE DATE- This subsection shall apply to domain names
registered on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3003. DAMAGES AND REMEDIES.
(a) REMEDIES IN CASES OF DOMAIN NAME PIRACY-
(1) INJUNCTIONS- Section 34(a) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C.
1116(a)) is amended in the first sentence by striking `(a) or (c)' and
inserting `(a), (c), or (d)'.
(2) DAMAGES- Section 35(a) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C.
1117(a)) is amended in the first sentence by inserting `, (c), or (d)' after
`section 43(a)'.
(b) STATUTORY DAMAGES- Section 35 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C.
1117) is amended by adding at the end the following:
`(d) In a case involving a violation of section 43(d)(1), the plaintiff
may elect, at any time before final judgment is rendered by the trial court,
to recover, instead of actual damages and profits, an award of statutory
damages in the amount of not less than $1,000 and not more than $100,000 per
domain name, as the court considers just.
SEC. 3004. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY.
Section 32(2) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1114) is
amended--
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by striking `under section
43(a)' and inserting `under section 43(a) or (d)'; and
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E) and inserting
after subparagraph (C) the following:
`(D)(i)(I) A domain name registrar, a domain name registry, or other
domain name registration authority that takes any action described under
clause (ii) affecting a domain name shall not be liable for monetary relief
or, except as provided in subclause (II), for injunctive relief, to any
person for such action, regardless of whether the domain name is finally
determined to infringe or dilute the mark.
`(II) A domain name registrar, domain name registry, or other domain
name registration authority described in subclause (I) may be subject to
injunctive relief only if such registrar, registry, or other registration
authority has--
`(aa) not expeditiously deposited with a court, in which an action has
been filed regarding the disposition of the domain name, documents
sufficient for the court to establish the court's control and authority
regarding the disposition of the registration and use of the domain
name;
`(bb) transferred, suspended, or otherwise modified the domain name
during the pendency of the action, except upon order of the court;
or
`(cc) willfully failed to comply with any such court order.
`(ii) An action referred to under clause (i)(I) is any action of
refusing to register, removing from registration, transferring, temporarily
disabling, or permanently canceling a domain name--
`(I) in compliance with a court order under section 43(d); or
`(II) in the implementation of a reasonable policy by such registrar,
registry, or authority prohibiting the registration of a domain name that
is identical to, confusingly similar to, or dilutive of another's
mark.
`(iii) A domain name registrar, a domain name registry, or other domain
name registration authority shall not be liable for damages under this
section for the registration or maintenance of a domain name for another
absent a showing of bad faith intent to profit from such registration or
maintenance of the domain name.
`(iv) If a registrar, registry, or other registration authority takes an
action described under clause (ii) based on a knowing and material
misrepresentation by any other person that a domain name is identical to,
confusingly similar to, or dilutive of a mark, the person making the knowing
and material misrepresentation shall be liable for any damages, including
costs and attorney's fees, incurred by the domain name registrant as a
result of such action. The court may also grant injunctive relief to the
domain name registrant, including the reactivation of the domain name or the
transfer of the domain name to the domain name registrant.
`(v) A domain name registrant whose domain name has been suspended,
disabled, or transferred under a policy described under clause (ii)(II) may,
upon notice to the mark owner, file a civil action to establish that the
registration or use of the domain name by such registrant is not unlawful
under this Act. The court may grant injunctive relief to the domain name
registrant, including the reactivation of the domain name or transfer of the
domain name to the domain name registrant.'.
SEC. 3005. DEFINITIONS.
Section 45 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1127) is amended by
inserting after the undesignated paragraph defining the term `counterfeit' the
following:
`The term `domain name' means any alphanumeric designation which is
registered with or assigned by any domain name registrar, domain name
registry, or other domain name registration authority as part of an electronic
address on the Internet.
`The term `Internet' has the meaning given that term in section 230(f)(1)
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f)(1)).'.
SEC. 3006. STUDY ON ABUSIVE DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATIONS INVOLVING PERSONAL
NAMES.
(a) IN GENERAL- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Patent and
Trademark Office and the Federal Election Commission, shall conduct a study
and report to Congress with recommendations on guidelines and procedures for
resolving disputes involving the registration or use by a person of a domain
name that includes the personal name of another person, in whole or in part,
or a name confusingly similar thereto, including consideration of and
recommendations for--
(1) protecting personal names from registration by another person as a
second level domain name for purposes of selling or otherwise transferring
such domain name to such other person or any third party for financial
gain;
(2) protecting individuals from bad faith uses of their personal names
as second level domain names by others with malicious intent to harm the
reputation of the individual or the goodwill associated with that
individual's name;
(3) protecting consumers from the registration and use of domain names
that include personal names in the second level domain in manners which are
intended or are likely to confuse or deceive the public as to the
affiliation, connection, or association of the domain name registrant, or a
site accessible under the domain name, with such other person, or as to the
origin, sponsorship, or approval of the goods, services, or commercial
activities of the domain name registrant;
(4) protecting the public from registration of domain names that include
the personal names of government officials, official candidates, and
potential official candidates for Federal, State, or local political office
in the United States, and the use of such domain names in a manner that
disrupts the electoral process or the public's ability to access accurate
and reliable information regarding such individuals;
(5) existing remedies, whether under State law or otherwise, and the
extent to which such remedies are sufficient to address the considerations
described in paragraphs (1) through (4); and
(6) the guidelines, procedures, and policies of the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers and the extent to which they address the
considerations described in paragraphs (1) through (4).
(b) GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES- The Secretary of Commerce shall, under its
Memorandum of Understanding with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers, collaborate to develop guidelines and procedures for resolving
disputes involving the registration or use by a person of a domain name that
includes the personal name of another person, in whole or in part, or a name
confusingly similar thereto.
SEC. 3007. HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
Section 101(a)(1)(A) of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C.
470a(a)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following: `Notwithstanding
section 43(c) of the Act entitled `An Act to provide for the registration and
protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the provisions of
certain international conventions, and for other purposes', approved July 5,
1946 (commonly known as the `Trademark Act of 1946' (15 U.S.C. 1125(c))),
buildings and structures on or eligible for inclusion on the National Register
of Historic Places (either individually or as part of a historic district), or
designated as an individual landmark or as a contributing building in a
historic district by a unit of State or local government, may retain the name
historically associated with the building or structure.'.
SEC. 3008. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
THIS SEARCH THIS DOCUMENT GO TO
Next Hit Forward New Bills Search
Prev Hit Back HomePage
Hit List Best Sections Help
Contents Display