British American Tobacco Addresses Unauthorized VELO Domain Registrations

British American Tobacco (Brands) Limited initiated a UDRP proceeding against the Respondent regarding the registration of the domain names <velosnus.online> and <velosnus.store>. The Complainant asserted that the registrations were an infringement on its global trademarks for the VELO brand. According to the filings, the Respondent utilized the brand’s identity without any authorization or commercial relationship, creating a significant risk of misleading consumers who are looking for authentic nicotine products in the digital marketplace.

Administrative Termination and Resolution of the Dispute

The administrative proceeding regarding <velosnus.online> and <velosnus.store> was concluded with a termination order. This specific outcome often signals that the Complainant successfully reached a settlement with the Respondent or that the domains were transferred or cancelled through an agreement before the administrative panel issued a final ruling. The core of the dispute rested on the Respondent’s decision to pair the protected VELO mark with the term “snus,” which is directly related to the Complainant’s product category. This combination was viewed as a deliberate attempt to associate the domains with the official brand, despite the Respondent having no license to use the name. By securing these specific addresses, the Respondent positioned themselves to capture web traffic intended for the brand owner, leveraging the international recognition of the trademark for unauthorized purposes.

Maintaining Brand Authority in the E-commerce Space

This case provides a clear lesson for brand owners regarding the necessity of monitoring new domain extensions like .store and .online. These extensions are frequently targeted by entities looking to create professional-looking storefronts that can easily be mistaken for official brand channels. Even when a case ends in termination, the act of filing the complaint is a critical step in signaling that the brand will not tolerate the misappropriation of its identity. Companies should prioritize a strategy that identifies these registrations early to prevent the erosion of consumer trust and the loss of market share to unauthorized actors.
If you are facing similar challenges with trademark infringement in the domain name system, the ClaimOn team can offer specialized assistance in auditing your digital footprint and executing a recovery strategy to protect your brand.