Crypto.com’s operator was sued over a gambling-related domain dispute just three days before announcing its entry into sports trading.
An Estonian technology business has launched a lawsuit against Crypto.com’s operator, Hong Kong-based Foris Limited, alleging “reverse domain name hijacking” of the web address Cripto.com.
Domdevelo OÜ filed a complaint in Arizona federal court on December 20th, seeking to safeguard its ownership of Cripto.com, which it purchased in November 2021 for roughly $75,000.
The controversy started when Foris filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) asserting trademark rights to the domain name.
This action resulted in GoDaddy.com temporarily “locking” the domain, prohibiting Domdevelo from using it.
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According to the lawsuit, Foris made “knowing and material misrepresentations” in its WIPO case by falsely claiming ownership of US trademark registrations that are actually owned by a separate firm, Foris Technology Pte Ltd of Singapore.
Domdevelo also filed a recent trademark application for “CRIPTO.COM”, which is intended for online gambling and gaming services.
The application, filed in March 2024, includes casino gaming, online gambling, and computer gaming services.
The complaint said that Foris Limited engages in no gambling-related commercial operations.
Crypto.com starts sports trading
Just days after the complaint was filed, Crypto.com announced the opening of Sports Event Trading on its platform, causing a drop in the share prices of several US online gaming companies.
Domdevelo claims that “Cripto” is a genuine term in various languages, including Italian, where it means “krypton” and is the first-person form of “to encrypt.”
The web portal development company claims to properly purchase generic domain names for development or sales, citing other holdings such as Check.id and CryptoAlert.ai.
The complaint seeks a declarative ruling that Domdevelo’s registration and use of Cripto.com are legitimate and do not violate any trademark rights.
The corporation also seeks damages and attorney’s fees under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.
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