On October 15th 2007, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center ruled the transfer of Velcro.biz to VELCRO INDUSTRIES. The defendant argued that VELCRO had become generic for hook and loop fasteners. According to the panel, the respondent had no legitimate interest or rights and, as a competitor of the plaintiff, was in bad faith, especially considering the fame of the trademark VELCRO. Fortunately, the decision handles with care the generic character that a famous mark may have acquired.
