Recently, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), based on the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), ruled that the domain names SunCityMarathon.com and SunCityMarathon.org should be transferred to Sun International (South Africa) Limited, a well-known South African resort group.
The case was initiated by Sun International, which accused South African citizen Malu Yantumba of infringing on its trademark and brand rights related to “Sun City” by registering the two domain names in July 2025.
According to reports, Sun International operates the Sun City resort, which opened in 1979 with an investment exceeding US$1.4 billion. The “Sun City” trademark was registered as early as 1978.
During the trial, Malu Yantumba argued that “Sun City” is not unique to South Africa, and that several locations in the United States share the same name. He argued that his registration was a geographical use and not malicious. However, the WIPO panel found that the respondent’s residence was adjacent to the Sun City resort in South Africa and had no connection to the “Sun City” area in the United States; furthermore, the respondent had discussed co-organizing the “Sun City Marathon” with the complainant, but retained the domain names after the negotiations ended.
The panel concluded that the respondent’s registration of domain names directly related to the complainant’s well-known resort clearly indicated an intention to exploit the brand’s reputation, and the word “marathon” in the domain names further strengthened the brand association. Ultimately, the panel ruled in favor of Sun International, ordering the transfer of both domain names.
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