Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

ACPA (Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act) was legislated by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 29, 1999. ACPA protects the trademark of individuals and businesses in the United States against cybersquatters who abusively register domain names that are confusingly identical or similar to certain trademarks and take advantage of the good will of the legal owners of the trademark to gain profit.

Background

Senator Spencer Abraham from Michigan introduced s 1255 known as Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act in the Senate on July 21, 1999.The bill was co-sponsored by Senators John Breaux, Orrin Hatch, John McCain and Robert Torricelli.Subsequently on July 22, the Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing. Several individuals testified in the hearing which include Anne H. Chasser, president of the International Trademark Association, Christopher D. Young, president and CEO of Cyveillance, Inc. and Gregory D. Phillips, Partner at Howard, Phillips & Anderson Law Firm in Salt Lake City, Utah.