Harvard University researchers in a recent study, estimate that Google could be making $497million a year from the practice known as ‘typosquatting’ according to ZDNet How does typosquatting work? Typosquatters register domain names, usually a well-established trade mark, in bad faith to gain a commercial advantage. This usually involves holding the domains in a portfolio [...]
Posts under ‘Cybersquatting’
Moving the goalposts: Facebook Usernames for Companies
OUT-LAW commented recently on Facebook’s offer to companies to notify them of any trade marks that they wished to reserve prior to the rolling out of the username system. It was hoped that this would act to counter cybersquatting. So, Facebook’s recent announcement to companies who pre-registered to protect their company trade marks from misappropriation, [...]
Secrets of Website Success – Workshop at the British Library IP Business Centre
Even if you are not selling on the internet, a website is a useful marketing tool for companies and is an important part of their branding. That’s why on Wednesday 24 June 2009, Azrights held a workshop at the British Library IP business centre on the secrets of website success. Focusing on 2 pillars, branding [...]
Preventing the cybersquatters and name squatting opportunists
It is obviously easier and cheaper to prevent cybersquatting and name squatting by pre-emptively protecting your brand and blocking your trade marks from being used by others. For those who have missed the chance to register their business names with Facebook (see earlier post) the solution is to set up a Page and then register [...]
Buying the SUCKS.COM version of your brand?
Domain names are an important aspect of branding. When registering domain names people often wonder which domains to buy. Some advisers advocate buying the sucks.com version of your brand to protect against aggrieved consumers who may want to vent anger against the brand. However, it is clear from the case of blogger and investment advisor [...]
Should Google be prevented from profiting from cybersquatting?
As a result of a recent decision against Google in the USA, a new weapon should be considered by trademark owners like Microsoft in the battle against cybersquatters. If misspellings or other versions of trademarks are registered as domain names by third parties who are earning click revenue from Google’s adsense program, suing Google may [...]
Verizon Wireless wins $33 million in a cybersquatting dispute
Verizon has been awarded a record amount in a law suit against a tech company and domain registrar, OnlineNIC, which had registered over 660 domain names that used Verizon’s trademarks. The case was brought under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act which is a US Federal Law that was enacted in 1999. The law basically codifies [...]
