For more than a decade, the Berkshire-based company has used the address to direct shoppers to a Star Wars section of its Jokers' Masquerade store. But in July, Nominet, which oversees .uk domains, backed Disney's ownership claim. The last time anyone successfully appealed against a Nominet ruling was in 2013.
[...]
Chief executive Mark Lewis said Abscissa had used two of the addresses for more than 12 years without being challenged. "I can't believe that over the last two decades that someone from either Lucasfilm or Disney did not do a WhoIs [search] and find that that starwars.co.uk and star-wars.co.uk were not registered to them," he told the BBC.
"There has to be a point in time, surely, where a registrant has to be able to hold some title." He added that Lucasfilm had owned star-wars.co.uk for a time prior to 2003, but had chosen not to renew it.
[...]
Nominet's initial rulings are determined by single expert, but appeals go to a three-person panel. Since 2001, just 48 cases - representing 1.8% of the body's rulings - have led to an appeal. Of those appeals, 20 resulted in the original decision being overturned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 11 2015, @07:15PM
They *LEASED* the domain. You *NEVER* own domains or IP addresses. They are similiar to nations where all land is government owned and you are given X years of property utilization with the possibility of renewal at the end of your current term.