A NEWSLETTER prepared by Graham & James LLP
March, 2000
INTERNET DOMAIN NAMES.
Frette S.p.A., owner of the registered trademark "Frette" and entitled user of the domain name "frette.it", sued Starnet S.r.l., who had previously registered the domain name "frette.com". The Court of Rome ruled for the plaintiff and granted injunctive relief to Frette S.p.A., thus enjoining the defendant’s use of the name "frette". The Court held that the internet domain name is more than an electronic address, and as such deserves protection. The Court ruled that if a company registers the trademark of another company as its domain name, it commits trademark infringement and violates the exclusive rights to which the trademark owner is entitled.
