Paris entity attacks generic domain names, including two domains that include the word “Paris”.
In a startling move, a quasi-governmental organization in Paris, France, has filed domain disputes against owners of generic domain names including the word “Paris” that have to do with internet access.
Ville de Paris filed cases against three domain names: WifiParis.com, Wifi-Paris.com, and Parvi.org.
In a 2008 dispute for the domain name VilledeParis.com, the organization described itself as “a public body established for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the general interest and not having an industrial or commercial character; in particular the Complainant is in charge of many missions of public-utilities notably in the fields of communication and information about activities available in the city of Paris.”
It appears that the organization may be behind a project called “Parvi” that will offer free Wifi in Paris.
WifiParis.com is owned by Salient Properties, which purchased Wifi.com and entered into a partnership with Domain Strategies to develop the domain name. WifiParis.com is a web site powered by Wifi.com that lists and maps hotspots in the city. Wifi-Paris.com does not resolve.
The organization appears to want the domain name Parvi.org because it is calling its wifi setup “Project Parvi”. Parvi.org appears to be a software developer’s wiki, and completely unrelated to Wifi and Paris.
source DomainNameWire.com