Shell once argued that Royaldutchshellplc.com was essentially identical to the name of its new parent company. It asked the World Intellectual Property Organization to take the domain away from Alfred Donovan. Shell lost. More than twenty years later, Shell has abandoned the corporate name—but the Donovan website still bears it.
There is a simple answer, followed by an important legal distinction.
Shell plc owns its Shell trademarks and remains the corporate successor to the company formerly called Royal Dutch Shell plc.
But Shell does not own the internet domain name:
The domain was registered in my fathers name, Alfred Donovan, in October 2004. Shell subsequently commenced proceedings before the World Intellectual Property Organization—WIPO—seeking its transfer.
Shell’s complaint was rejected.
The domain remained with the Donovans and is now controlled and operated by me, John Donovan.
By John Donovan:
ell plc and focuses on leaked documents, commentary, and criticism of the company.
“Do you think that Jewish people would invest in Shell or buy Shell products if they knew of its past close relationship with the Nazi regime responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews, for which there has been no apology by Shell?”: “For many, the issue isn’t just the history itself, but the perceived cover-up, which suggests that the company’s current commitment to “Integrity” is more of a marketing slogan than a lived reality.”
(This article is Part 1 of a series on Shell’s relationship with private intelligence firm Hakluyt & Company and how that story has been handled on Wikipedia. 
