I just got asked someone's help with an interesting question, so I thought I'd ask you lot:
The person had a domain that was their first and last name — firstlast.com — which they were selling their artwork on. They were handing out business cards with the domain name and all — demonstrably trading under it.
The person accidentally let the domain expire, and domaindoorman.com swooped in and grabbed it. It's now a parked search portal.
Now — apparently a few other artists who'd had similar problems with people buying their name as a .com had won the domains back, based on the common-law trademark on their name used as not merely their name but their business. (Something about these being people selling stuff related to the person whose name it actually was.)
"So what I'm wondering is, since the domain is my name, is there any way at all that I can get it back under my control without paying huge amounts of money for court/lawyer fees?"
It's a .com and both parties are in the US — does the person go to WIPO first or last? Or what? Anyone actually done this or know anyone who's actually done this?