Company turns to cybersquatting claim after failed purchase attempt.

QuickBooks maker Intuit attempted to reverse hijack the domain name QB.com, a UDRP panel has ruled.

A Chinese individual bought the domain name in 2017 for the equivalent of $2.9 million. He bought it because “QB” is the pinyin abbreviation for “QianBao” (wallet). He used it for a cryptocurrency exchange for a couple of years before listing it for sale again.

Intuit attempted to buy the domain for $2.5 million. When those efforts failed, the company filed the cybersquatting claim.

In the dispute, Intuit argued that the Respondent’s use of the domain for a cryptocurrency exchange was illegal, thus depriving him of legitimate rights in the domain. It based this allegation on low-level government advisories with little legal effect, and didn’t show that they applied to the Respondent’s business.

The panel found that this was a Plan B reverse domain name hijacking, in which a company turns to the UDRP after failing to acquire a domain through a commercial transaction. It also cited Intuit’s seemingly false claim of illegality.

The decision in Chinese is here (pdf). Thank you to Internet Commerce Association for analyzing the case.