Playboy Enterprises wins UDRP lawsuit for Playboy.ai domain name

Recently, a highly anticipated news came that Playboy Enterprises International Inc. won the UDRP (Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) case with The Forum and successfully obtained ownership of the domain name Playboy.ai.

It is reported that the domain name was registered in November 2017. Playboy Enterprises claimed trademark infringement on the domain name because its famous "Playboy" brand was established as early as 1954. In October 2024, Playboy asked the Chinese registrant to purchase the domain name through an agent, but received no response. Subsequently, the UDRP complaint procedure was initiated in November. Soon after, the registrant offered to sell the domain name for 10 million RMB (about 1.334 million euros), arguing that the domain name was for an artificial intelligence project called "Little Boy Playing" and that "Playboy" means "playing boy" in Chinese, and the high price was intended to deter potential buyers.

The case was handled by David L. Kreider, an arbitrator from New Zealand (The Forum Claim Number: FA2411002127176). The arbitrator ruled that the domain name Playboy.ai was confusingly similar to the Playboy trademark, satisfying the first element of the UDRP policy. At the same time, the registrant failed to provide credible evidence of legitimate use of the domain name, such as business plans, financial records, or relevant communications, and its claims about the children's artificial intelligence project were also unsupported and inconsistent with the meaning of "Playboy". In addition, the domain name was clearly registered with the intention of selling it to Playboy at a high price, and the registrant's explanation lacked credibility, indicating bad faith.

Ultimately, the arbitrator concluded that the registrant’s actions deprived Playboy of the opportunity to use the domain to develop its brand, while potentially benefiting competitors. The Playboy.ai domain was therefore transferred to Playboy Enterprises.

This case highlights the importance of a unified domain name dispute resolution policy. Although Playboy has had a long-standing online presence since 1994, it has ignored the growing importance of the .ai extension as a symbol of artificial intelligence. It reminds trademark holders to remain vigilant and secure relevant domain names as early as possible, especially as new top-level domains and country code top-level domains gradually gain popularity.

Information source: domain