>McDonalds Plumbing has just as much right to register
>mcdonalds.com.au as the restaurant chain *unless*
>McDonald's Plumbing does not intend to use it for
>its plumbing business but just wants to sit on it
>in order to lever some money out of the restaurant chain.

Sure, but as long as McDonalds Plumbing is a legit business, see if
you can design a test that discriminates between 'we intend to use it
for our own use' and 'we just want to sit on it to lever some money
out of the restaurant chain'.  If you can, you're a better person than
I.

This is a different (but actually a more common) occurrence than
people who register large numbers of domain names and then approach
holders of major trademarks with an offer of sale.  In general
overseas, people clearly registering names for the purpose of
on-selling the domain name have not been treated well by the courts.

Regards,

Mark

Mark Hughes
Director
Effective Business Applications Pty Ltd
effectivebusiness§pplications.com.au
61 4 1374 3959