Scenario: cosmetics brand “L.”, famous on marketplaces, discovers L.vn registered by an individual running a counterfeit-brand webshop. The brand owner holds a Vietnamese trademark. How to recover the domain?
.vn domains: registration and dispute principles
The .vn country domain is administered by the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) on a first-come-first-served basis — first registrants win regardless of IP rights at registration. This opens the door to cybersquatting: registering domains identical or similar to famous marks for resale at premiums or confusing webshops. Disputed brand owners have tools: negotiated buyback (fast but costly and rewards squatting); complaints to registrars or VNNIC; court litigation; or .vn domain arbitration under dispute-resolution rules. To win, mark owners typically prove: the domain is identical or confusingly similar to their mark, the registrant lacks legitimate rights or interests, and registration and use were in bad faith.
International domains: the UDRP mechanism
For international domains (.com, .net, etc.), disputes go through ICANN’s UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) — a streamlined administrative procedure via designated centres (such as WIPO). UDRP winning conditions mirror the above: confusing similarity, no legitimate interests, bad-faith registration and use. UDRP is faster and cheaper than litigation but yields only transfer or cancellation — no damages. Cross-border e-commerce brands should defensively register .vn and key international domains from the start — preventive registration costs far less than recovery.
Online brand protection: a full strategy
Domain disputes are one facet of online brand protection. A complete strategy includes: trademark registration in Vietnam and target markets (IP Law 50/2005/QH11, amended by Law 131/2025/QH15); defensive domain registration (popular extensions, confusing variants); marketplace and social-media monitoring for counterfeits and fake sites — combined with platforms’ brand-protection programmes and complaint procedures; and action against unfair competition (confusing mark use) under competition and IP law. Against fake webshops selling counterfeits, pursue in parallel: domain complaints, marketplace takedown requests, and damages litigation.
Frequently asked questions
A competitor registers a lookalike domain to siphon your customers?
That is unfair competition where it confuses with your mark. Address via domain disputes, unfair-competition complaints or IP litigation — depending on gravity and bad-faith evidence.
Losing a .vn domain by forgetting renewal?
Expired .vn domains pass through grace stages and may be revoked and re-registered by others first-come-first-served. Businesses should enable auto-renewal and centrally manage domain portfolios — losing a primary domain is a serious brand incident.
Should you buy back a squatted domain at a premium?
Weigh cost against benefit: where buyback costs less than dispute costs (lawyers, time, losing risk) and the domain matters commercially, buying back is pragmatic. But never signal desperation — it invites price gouging; meanwhile prepare legal options to strengthen negotiating leverage.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council.