ShellNews.net: Shell loses Royal Dutch Shell PLC Domain Name Battle: Friday 12 August 2005: 01.35am ET
Unanimous verdict against Shell in Royal Dutch Shell PLC Domain Name proceedings
By John Donovan
A three person administrative panel appointed under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organisation has given a unanimous decision in favour of ShellNews.net website owner, Alfred Donovan, in respect of three Shell related domain names, including www.royaldutchshellplc.com
The WIPO decision document:http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2005/d2005-0538.html
The fact that a Shell shareholder (who happens to be a long-term adversary of Royal Dutch Shell senior executives) has ownership of this .com domain name – the precise name of the new $200 billion dollar unified multinational - stands as a monument to the breathtaking incompetence of Shell management. Shell executives obviously knew before anyone else the name of its planned new company but incredibly neglected to obtain domain name registration.
As a result of their gross incompetence this *scandal ridden multinational finds itself in a highly embarrassing position. It has publicly laid claim to the domain name and will consequently suffer a considerable loss of face with its shareholders, the public and its competitors, as a result of the unanimous verdict.
It appears that under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, either party retains the option to take the dispute to a court of competent jurisdiction for independent resolution. However, it states on the WIPO website that “In practice, this is a relatively rare occurrence”. If it possible for Shell to challenge the WIPO decision in the courts, Shell risks yet another PR disaster as they would have to bring legal proceedings against Alfred Donovan (my father), who is an 88 year old war pensioner and decorated veteran of the Burma Campaign which took place over 60 years ago.
*The reserves scandal; the Brent Spar scandal; the Nigerian scandal whereby Shell has plundered and polluted the Nigerian Delta; the Sakhalin-2 $10 BILLION DOLLAR COST OVERRUN scandal; the Corrib Pipeline scandal in Ireland where 5 principled Irishman have been incarcerated for several weeks at the behest of Shell based on false information given to the courts; Shell’s scandalous treatment of UK resident Royal Dutch shareholders in the unification/merger brought about by the reserves scandal; the pending Brent Bravo Public Inquiry after Shell admitted responsibility for the tragic deaths of two employees and was fined $1.66 million US dollars etc.
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