MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE N.V. 
By
THE CIVIL COURT OF ROME ESTABLISHES THAT THE NAME
"MEDIASET.COM" CAN NOT BE USED BY A THIRD PARTY
Prohibition on the use of the name and domain
"Mediaset.com" plus a fine of ?1,000 penalty for
each day of delay in taking action on the decision.
The ninth section of the Civil Court of Rome upheld the
appeal 1193/12 made by Mediaset against the Fenicius Llc
requiring it to cease use of the domain whose acquisition,
as demonstrated in the appeal, "was made with the aim
of achieving association with the well-known brand
Mediaset."
But the episode, as is clear, does not affect only Mediaset
and opens up a broader debate on the issue of copyright
protection.
Our company has decided to focus its online activities on
the Mediaset.it, domain, which provides access to all the
group's internet content. A decision that was taken to
make life easier for our users, to maintain clarity of
information and to underline the Italian nature of the
company.
For us, any other extension domain name linked to Mediaset
has no right to exist, as we are the sole owners of
copyright on the brand.
Conversely, figures have sprung up specialising in the
acquisition of numerous extensions to established brands,
from .com to .xxx; hundreds and hundreds of fictitious
domains that the original companies should then
register.
In a very few cases, there are actual homonyms that can
lead to understandable disputes. However, the vast majority
of these operations are the handwork of professionals who
aim to sell the domains to their rightful owners at
exorbitant prices.
In this case, an immediate appeal to the courts by Mediaset
has produced the desired and expected result. But the fact
remains that the issue has become a veritable jungle that
needs to be cleared. And legal action cannot be the right
solution as it requires companies to invest intellectual
and economic resources and helps to clog the civil justice
system. The problem is now apparently urgent and would ask
the appropriate authorities take note and to act.
Cologno Monzese, April 11, 2012
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