Findlay Steele Associates registered the name fsa.co.uk in good faith some six months before the FSA, holder of the domain name fsa.gov.uk, came into existence. However, Nominet initially reasoned that some confusion had occurred between the two names. Findlay Steele had received confidential business correspondence intended for the FSA as a result of a spelling error made by the sender, the FSA’s solicitors.
The unnamed expert reviewing the decision noted that the FSA has indicated that it might resort to court action if it loses the Nominet decision. The expert has recommended that the parties settle the case, which is likely to involve the FSA making an offer to buy the domain name. Accordingly, the expert has given the parties until 26th October to come to a “mutually acceptable arrangement regarding the use of the domain name.”