The suit primarily targets the French government (including Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian), but it also names VeriSign, which currently handles .com domain registry. Web.com isn't one of the targets and so far hasn't responded to requests for comments.

Frydman might have a case. In the filing, he noted that the French government had explicitly acknowledged that it didn't own the right to the word "France." Officials also didn't make any effort to buy or license the domain before trying to grab it -- they acted as if they were "inherently entitled" to take it, according to the lawsuit.

Whatever happens, this could set an important precedent for domain ownership battles. On top of the basic trademark dispute, there's the question of whether or not a country can seize a domain from a foreign resident simply because it believes it has a right to that internet address. If France wins, there's a concern that other countries might use this as an excuse to grab other privately-held domains.