Pinterest Gets Control Of 100 Domains, Wins $7.2 Million In Cybersquatting Case

A federal judge ruled in Pinterest’s favor this week, granting the company $7.2 million in damages and the control of 100 domains that were registered by a Chinese cybersquatter.

Qian Jin, described in the judgment as a “serial cybersquatter” that owns hundreds of domains similar to the names of large companies, registered domains such as pinterests.com, pimterest.com and pinterost.com “after Pinterest.com and the PIN mark gained fame and began attracting visitors,” the judgment says.

The judge determined that this constituted “willful” infringement and said that “the association of defendant’s mark with Pinterest’s is likely to harm the reputation of Pinterest and create a likelihood of dilution by tarnishment.”

Pinterest had asked for $12 million in damages, but the judge granted the company $7.2 million based on previous case history.

As reported by AllThingsD, a Pinterest spokesperson called the decision “a good outcome for the people who use Pinterest.”

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Matt McGee

Matt McGee is the Editor-In-Chief of MarTech Today. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. After leaving traditional media in the mid-1990s, he began developing and marketing websites and continued to provide consulting services for more than 15 years. His SEO and social media clients ranged from mom-and-pop small businesses to one of the Top 5 online retailers. Matt is a longtime speaker at marketing events around the U.S., including keynote and panelist roles. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee. You can read Matt's disclosures on his personal blog. You can reach Matt via email using our Contact page.