How the Czech Arbitration Court Helped the EUIPO Beat a Domain Scam

When a typo leads to fraud, trade marks fight back. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) just won a key domain name case—right here in Czechia.

When a Letter Goes Wrong

It may seem like a harmless slip: typing euipp.com instead of euipo.com. But that tiny mistake was enough for scammers to impersonate the EUIPO and send fake payment requests. This trick, known as typosquatting, is designed to fool users by mimicking trusted domains.

The fraudsters behind euipp.com counted on people not noticing the extra "P". What they didn’t count on? Getting taken down by the Czech Arbitration Court.

IP Rights in Action

The EUIPO didn’t just ask nicely. They brought out the big guns: their registered European Union Trade Mark (EUTM) for “EUIPO”. In March 2025, the Czech Arbitration Court ruled in their favour, confirming that the domain was registered in bad faith and canceling it.

This was a landmark move—it marked the first time the EUIPO successfully used its trade mark rights in a domain dispute. It shows how IP law isn’t just theoretical: it’s a real-world tool that helps stop scams and protect users.

More Than a Victory—A Strategy

The case is also part of something bigger. Under its Strategic Plan SP2030, the EUIPO is pushing for better protection for users and brands online. That means stronger cooperation with domain name registries and new services to help businesses manage rights beyond just trade marks—like domain names and digital identities.

Connecting the dots between trade marks and domain names is becoming essential in today’s online world.

Fighting Fraud, Country by Country

This isn’t EUIPO’s first anti-scam win. Courts in Sweden (2017) and Germany (2024) already ruled that misleading payment requests to IP users are fraud. But this case adds a new layer—it’s the first successful use of trade mark law in a domain dispute, and it happened thanks to a Czech institution.

Why the Czech Arbitration Court?

You might be wondering: why was this case decided in Prague?

The Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) is one of only four institutions worldwide authorized to resolve domain name disputes under rules approved by ICANN – the nonprofit organization that keeps the internet running smoothly by overseeing domain names, IP addresses, and other core functions. In simple terms: ICANN helps ensure no one abuses someone else’s brand by registering a confusingly similar web address.

Since 2008, the CAC has handled cases under the so-called UDRP rules – short for the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy. This global framework was created to offer a fair and streamlined process when someone registers a domain name that mimics a known brand, usually to deceive or profit unfairly.

In Europe, the Prague-based CAC is a popular choice thanks to its:

fast processing times,
affordable fees,
multilingual proceedings,
and solid understanding of European IP law.

That’s exactly why EUIPO turned to this court in their recent domain dispute.

Don’t Get Fooled—Stay Informed

Scammers are getting smarter, but so are the tools to stop them. If you’ve received a suspicious message or want to protect your brand online, visit the EUIPO’s anti-scam page.

Need help protecting your domain or trade mark? Our legal team is ready to help you fight back—no matter how small the typo.

Sources

Text: ‘Czech Arbitration Court Rules in Favour of the EUIPO by Cancelling EUIPP.Com Domain Name’. EUIPO, https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/news/czech-arbitration-court-rules-in-favour-of-the-euipo-by-cancelling-euipp-com-domain-name. Accessed 9 May 2025.