The Complainant, JAGEX LIMITED, is a company operating worldwide in designing, developing, publishing, and operating online video games and other electronic-based entertainment since 2000. The Complainant is well-known internationally for its Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games RuneScape and Old School RuneScape. Together, these games average a total of more than 3 million active users per month since October 2022 and Old School RuneScape has been recognised by the Guinness World Records for being the largest free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game with over 300 million accounts.<\/p>\n
The Complainant holds the trademark registration “RUNESCAPE” and “SCAPE” and domain name bearing “RUNESCAPE” and “SCAPE”.<\/p>\n
On December 17, 2017; the Respondent registered the disputed domain name <vidyascape.org>. It redirects to an Internet page offering the users a video game.<\/p>", "other_legal_proceedings": "
The Panel is not aware of any other legal proceedings which are pending or decided and which relate to the disputed domain name.<\/p>", "no_response_filed": "
COMPLAINANT:<\/p>\n
THE DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME IS CONFUSINGLY SIMILAR<\/p>\n
The Complainant says that it owns rights in the RUNESCAPE and SCAPE marks and also referred to earlier panel decisions. It claims that \"SCAPE\" is a commonly used term by its game users and that its trademarks will immediately come to mind when Internet users see the \"SCAPE\" mark used online. The Complainant claims that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademarks “RUNESCAPE”, “SCAPE” and other SCAPE-formative trademarks as it bears the Complainant’s “SCAPE” trademark as a whole and the addition of the non-distinctive term “VIDYA” is not sufficient to avoid likelihood of confusion.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the Complainant requests that the Panel omit the TLD suffix ‘.org’ when assessing the disputed domain name as it is merely a technical requirement used for domain name registrations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
NO RIGHTS OR LEGITIMATE INTERESTS IN RESPECT OF THE DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME<\/p>\n
The Complainant asserts that the Respondent was not commonly known by a disputed domain name.<\/p>\n
The Complainant contends that the Respondent is not affiliated with nor authorized by the Complainant in any way. The Complainant submits that nothing about the disputed domain name suggests that it is being used by the Respondent legitimately or for non-commercial and fair use.<\/p>\n
The Complainant also submits that the Respondent is using the disputed domain name to resolve to a website offering a pirated version of the Complainant's Old School RuneScape game and advertising themselves as “The Most Complete 2007 Recreation Ever”, referring to being a pirated recreation on the Complainant’s Games. The Complainant refers to prior panel decisions that have consistently held use of a domain name for illegal activity (e.g., the sale of counterfeit goods or illegal pharmaceuticals, phishing, distributing malware, unauthorised account access\/hacking, impersonating\/passing off, or other types of fraud) can never confer rights or legitimate interests on a respondent (WIPO Overview 3.0, paragraph 2.13.1).<\/p>\n
The Complainant states that the Respondent’s activity cannot constitute fair use as it’s in pursuance of promoting an illegal activity, therefore the Respondent cannot benefit from a defence of fair use. Additionally, given the competitive use of the disputed domain name, the Respondent does not satisfy any of the above-mentioned grounds under Policy, Paragraph 4(c).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
THE DISPUTED DOMAIN NAME WAS REGISTERED AND IS USED IN BAD FAITH<\/p>\n
The Complainant reiterates the submissions made above that the trademarks significantly pre-date the registration of the disputed domain name and the Complainant enjoys a substantial reputation in the RUNESCAPE brand. Furthermore, it is claimed that the Respondent was unequivocally aware of the RUNESCAPE brands, given the Respondent’s deliberate impersonation of the Complainant’s RUNESCAPE brand and the Complainant’s RuneScape and Old School RuneScape in-game assets and mechanics.<\/p>\n
The Complainant submits that the Respondent is free riding on the success of the RUNESCAPE brand including by use of the Complainant’s well-known in-game assets and promotional material, providing evidence to support this claim.<\/p>\n
The Complainant submits that the only plausible explanation is the Respondent’s service impersonates the Complainant’s games or otherwise intentionally uses the Complainant’s copyright-protected works and adopts confusingly similar names and assets, with a view to diverting traffic from the Complainant’s websites in order to promote a pirated copy of the Old School RuneScape game. The Complainant submits that the disputed domain name was registered with prior knowledge of the Complainant and their RUNESCAPE brand as evidenced by the substantial similarity of in-game assets, naming conventions, and art style, with a view to taking advantage of the attractive power of those brands to consumers of online video games.<\/p>\n
The Complainant claims that based on the Respondent’s use of the RUNESCAPE mark and RuneScape assets to sell similar and competing goods and services, the Respondent has actual knowledge of the Complainant’s rights in the RuneScape Brands at the time of registering the disputed domain name.<\/p>\n
The Complainant further submits that the Respondent disrupts the Complainant’s business by diverting potential customers to the Website which offer similar and competing goods and services. Using a confusingly similar domain name in a manner disruptive of a Complainant’s business by trading upon the goodwill of a Complainant for the commercial gain evinces bad faith under paragraph 4(b)(iii) and (v) of the Policy.<\/p>\n
In view of the distinctive nature of the RUNESCAPE brand, the colossal scope of the Complainant’s business, and the substantial evidence of the Respondent copying\/impersonating the Complainant, the Complainant claims that the Respondent’s actual knowledge of the RUNESCAPE brand at the time of registration of the disputed domain name is unequivocal, and there is no plausible reason why the Respondent registered the disputed domain name in question other than to target the Complainant and its SCAPE and RUNESCAPE trademarks.<\/p>\n
Based on the submissions above, the Complainant maintains that the disputed domain name was registered and used in bad faith. Consequently, all elements of the Policy are satisfied.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
RESPONDENT:<\/p>\n
NO ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLIANT RESPONSE HAS BEEN FILED.<\/p>", "rights": "
The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the disputed domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights (within the meaning of paragraph 4(a)(i) of the Policy).<\/p>", "no_rights_or_legitimate_interests": "
The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the Respondent to have no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name (within the meaning of paragraph 4(a)(ii) of the Policy).<\/p>", "bad_faith": "
The Complainant has, to the satisfaction of the Panel, shown the disputed domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith (within the meaning of paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy).<\/p>", "procedural_factors": "
The Panel is satisfied that all procedural requirements under UDRP were met and there is no other reason why it would be inappropriate to provide a decision.<\/p>", "decision": "Accepted", "panelists": [ "Mrs Selma Ünlü" ], "date_of_panel_decision": "2026-02-20 00:00:00", "informal_english_translation": "
The Complainant has submitted evidence, which the Panel accepts, showing that it is the registered owner of the following trademarks among others:<\/p>\n
- the UK trademark SCAPE (figurative) (registration n°UK00004247316) dated November 21, 2025;<\/p>\n
- the UK trademark RUNESCAPE (registration n°UK00002302308) dated December 27, 2002;<\/p>\n
- the EU trademark DARKSCAPE (registration n°018613417) dated May 18, 2022.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the Complainant is also the owner of the domain names bearing the sign “RUNESCAPE” and “SCAPE” such as the domain name <runescape.com> registered since August 17, 2000 and others such as <runescape.net>; <06scape.com>, <2007scape.com><\/span>.<\/p>", "decision_domains": { "vidyascape.org": "TRANSFERRED" }, "panelist": null, "panellists_text": null }