Since July 22, 2008, the AFNIC offers a new arbitration proceeding for the .fr and .re domain names. The proceeding is devoted to “manifest cases” preventing inter alia the registration as domain names of denominations protected through intellectual property rights in France or within the EU. It may serve in special cases (such as well-known marks) but only the practice will tell. The decision is issued under a 45-day basis during which the domain name is frozen so as to avoid the “cyberflight” practice.
