The JBMG.com domain name dispute has concluded, with the 22-year-old domain name holder prevailing.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently announced the results of a UDRP case involving the domain name JBMG.com. British music marketing company JBMG Limited sued the Japanese domain name holder, jbmg inc, seeking the transfer of the domain name. Ultimately, the complainant lost the case, and the domain remains in the hands of the original holder.

The case began on June 30, 2025. JBMG Limited, established in 2024, claimed that JBMG.com was identical to its "JBMG" trademark, which it registered in April 2025, and requested the domain be transferred to it. The complainant pointed out that the domain name website was merely a for-sale page, selling for a staggering $7,980, and suspected that the respondent had registered the domain name in bad faith and without legitimate rights.

An investigation revealed that the disputed domain name was registered by Japanese jbmg inc in November 2003, well before the complainant's incorporation and trademark registration. The respondent did not submit a response, and the WIPO panel examined the case based on the available evidence.

The panel examined three criteria under the UDRP: whether the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to the trademark, whether the respondent possesses legitimate interests, and whether the registration and use were in bad faith. Although the domain name perfectly replicates the complainant's trademark "JBMG," satisfying the first criterion, the complainant failed to prove bad faith.

Because the domain name was registered over 20 years before the complainant's trademark and company establishment, and there was no evidence of malicious infringement by the respondent, the complainant failed to meet the third UDRP requirement of "bad faith."

Furthermore, the respondent used the domain name solely as a sales page, which, while questioned as speculation, did not constitute bad faith registration. The complainant also failed to prove the respondent lacked legitimate interests.

In summary, WIPO dismissed the complaint and upheld the domain name's ownership by the Japanese owner, jbmg inc.