Novel Cryptocurrency ‘JRR Token' Ruled To Be Infringing

The cryptocurrency marketplace can sometimes feel like the Wild West of trademark law – for example, there are several coins that feature very similar images of a particular breed of dog, the Shiba Inu. Perhaps it is the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency that makes obtaining and enforcing trademark rights a lower priority. However, as a recent case illustrates –at least one trademark owner is taking a stand against the free trademark spirit of the cryptocurrency marketplace.

The purveyor of the 'JRR Token' cryptocurrency, a resident of Florida, was hauled before the WIPO domain name disputes panel. The estate of JRR Tolkien, the departed author of the well-known novels The Hobbit  and The Lord of the Rings  series, argued that JRR Token was confusingly similar to the well-known JRR Tolkien family of marks, and that the corresponding domain name, 'jrrtoken.com', had been registered and used in bad faith. The WIPO panelist agreed and ordered the transfer of the