Concern escalates over Internet sharp practices

Fears that electronic trading – when it takes off – will be a cut-throat business have been highlighted by a retailer which appears to have registered its rivals’ names on the Internet to prevent them using them.

A company called Allied Carpets Group has registered the names of ten carpet retailers with the British Internet registration committee NomiNet, through Website managers Frontier.

The similarly-named high street carpet retailer Allied Carpets has refused to say whether it is linked to Allied Carpets Group.

A spokesman for Frontier says an investigation is being conducted into who authorised the registrations.

The companies registered include Carpetright, Carpetland, and Premier Carpets – all high street rivals to Allied.

NomiNet, the UK naming committee, admits it is powerless to police its own system properly. NomiNet director John Carey says: “The system largely depends on people telling the truth on the forms they return to us. We don’t have the manpower to carry out extensive checks. Basically, a court case would be useful to establish common ground for everyone.”

Giles Donovan, marketing manager of NetBenefit, one of the largest Website managers in the UK, says: “The system is volatile. In the US there are a lot more court cases, as well as instances of companies demanding names that were originally taken by British companies.

“My advice would be to register your name as quickly as possible in Britain, even if you do not intend to open a Web site straight away.”