Tag Archives: Trademark

Wed 10th February 2016
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
FundMe.com and GoFundMe.com in heading spat - Two similarly-named companies are on a collision course. Not to be confused with GoFundMe.The owner of FundMe.com has filed a lawsuit against personal fundraising site GoFundMe.com over the similarity of their names and trademarks, and a bit of nuance around types of crowfunding. FundMe.com has a trademark related to business funding. GoFundMe is a site for personal or charitable crowdfnding. Earlier this year, legal counsel for GoFundMe sent a cease desist letter to FundMe.com regarding FundMe.com ... read more ...
Thu 12th November 2015
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Reverse Domain Hijacking Found On 21 Year Old TPP.com Owned by Thomson Reuters - A three member UDRP panel found that “The Preferred Prepaid, Inc. d/b/a TPP represented by Clifford D. Hyra, of Virginia, engaged in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) in attempting to grab the three letter domain name TPP.com which was registered in 1994 by Thomson Reuters. The three member panel of The Honourable Neil Anthony Brown QC, Clive Elliott, QC and Darryl C. Wilson found the facts of this case “present overwhelming evidence that Complainant has engaged in reverse domain name hijacking”. Here ... read more ...
Wed 28th October 2015
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Twitter and opposition Tencent competence have to quarrel over "Moments" - Tencent files trademark applications, presumably in response to Twitter launching new “Moments” feature. On October 6, Twitter launched “Moments” in an effort to attract more users to trending topics. It’s a pretty cool feature, but Twitter might run up against Chinese social networking giant Tencent over the name. Tencent has a number of services including microblogging. On October 16, Tencent filed two trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “Moments”. ... read more ...
Thu 22nd October 2015
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Delta Airlines Loses UDRP To Grab Domain Delta.Tours - Delta Air Lines, Inc. just lost its bid to grab the new gTLD Delta.tours in a one member panel UDRP of Douglas M. Isenberg. The domain holder’s case was greatly helped because he registered four other .Tours domains on the same day. “”Complaint states that the Disputed Domain Name was registered on July 8, 2015, that “[w]ithout [Complainant’s] authorization, Respondent is likely intending to use the domain to divert Internet users seeking [Complainant’s] official website online to Respondent’s ... read more ...
Thu 15th October 2015
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
University of Cambridge withdraws heading plea after UDRP loss - Tail between the legs. University of Cambridge has withdrawn a challenge to a trademark application for a Cambridge.com logo after losing a UDRP for the same domain name. As I reported earlier this week, a UDRP panel admonished the 800-year-old university for making some incorrect statements in a UDRP for Cambridge.com. It seems the UDRP and trademark opposition were filed as a way to get the domain name. Once the UDRP failed so miserably, the university backtracked. John Berryhill represented domain ... read more ...
Thu 17th September 2015
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Finally! Google sues robocallers Local Lighthouse - Google files trademark infringement suit against bothersome SEO/SEM company. Google has sued Local Lighthouse Corp, which has undertaken a massive robocall and telemarketing campaign and, from personal experience, tried to trick callers into thinking it was associated with Google. It’s likely you’ve received a robocall from these this group, even if you didn’t know who was behind it. The calls suggest the caller is from Google, or representing Google, and needs to talk to you about your search ... read more ...
Mon 24th August 2015
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Domain Development Legal Mistakes with Enrico Schaefer – DNW Podcast #47 - Don’t make these mistakes when developing a domain name into a full website. Are you developing some of your domain names? You’ll want to listen to this week’s interview with Enrico Schaefer of Traverse Legal. Enrico discusses 5 things you need to do when developing a website to keep yourself out of legal hot water. Don’t make a mistake that can cost you more than you’ll earn from your developed website. Also: Web.com credit card theft, eNom and Sedo link up, Verisign v. XYZ trial date ... read more ...
Thu 20th August 2015
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Ashley Madison Hacked Info Site CheckAshleyMadison.com Taken Down After DMCA Notice - On August 19, 2015 hackers released a huge amount of data from the breach at AshleyMadison.com and the race was on. Several websites were set up to allow users to “search” the data, allowing users to see if a specific email address was included in the release. One of those websites, according to TheHill.com is CheckAshleyMadison.com. That domain name was registered, well, yesterday on August 19, 2015 at eNom under privacy protection according to whois records. Well, it was also TAKEN DOWN today ... read more ...
Tue 11th August 2015
Written by The Domains in EN and tagged
Twitter Files 3 New Trademarks: TWTR, N Logo And Niche Creator - Twitter Inc. has filed 3 new trademarks including one for TWTR which is the NYSE stock symbol for the company. The trademark states: “Providing business and corporate information via a web site and via social media”. Twitter Inc. currently does not own the matching domain name TWTR.com according to whois records. The domain name is for sale currently on domain name marketplace Sedo.com, with a “make offer” listing that is pretty active as seen in the screen shot below: The domain name is ... read more ...
Fri 6th February 2015
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Web pattern association sues GoDaddy over "It's Go Time" slogan - Company says it was using the slogan first. A small web development company is suing GoDaddy over its “It’s Go Time” slogan, arguing that it started using the moniker well before GoDaddy adopted it. Plaintiff The Easy Life, LLC runs GoWeb1. The company says it is actually a reseller of GoDaddy’s domain name services. It alleges that it has had the same account manager at GoDaddy and has been emailing newsletters to that account manager — including the It’s Go Time slogan – since at ... read more ...
Tue 16th December 2014
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
See all 152 heading apps filed by a Trademark King (at a cost of $50k!) - Guy spends nearly $50,000 on application fees to try to trademark terms such as Google.com, NCAA Final Four and Elvis.com. I’ve written a couple times about Trademark King Inc, an Indiana business that filed a lot of trademark applications matching mostly famous names and common terms. The company has filed 152 applications, according to a search on Trademark247. Most were filed around Thanksgiving, and many of them exactly match a celebrity name or famous brand ... read more ...
Tue 18th November 2014
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Guy tries to heading one of Rick Schwartz’s domain names - This one will be interesting. This morning I was perusing recently filed trademark applications when I came across an application for Trademarking.com. When I checked the whois on the domain name, I saw that the domain was registered to domain name investor Rick Schwartz. But the company that filed the trademark was Trademark King in Indiana. TrademarkKing.com (with two k’s) is registered under whois privacy, so I thought perhaps the trademark applicant owns this ... read more ...
Wed 25th June 2014
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
This elementary cognisance illustrates a existence of code insurance in new TLDs - A visualization of reality for brand protection costs and new top level domain names. One thing that’s clear from talking to various people at ICANN 50 this week is that they are surprised by the low level of defensive trademark registrations in new TLDs. The trademark lobby expected a nightmare. New TLD applicants expected a lot less, but still more than they got. Here’s the reality in a simple chart: No harm done to the trademark lobby for exaggerating the ... read more ...
Mon 24th February 2014
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Facepets.com asks justice to get Facebook off the back - If I were them, I’d find another domain name and focus on the business rather than waste time with a lawsuit. Facepets.com, LLC, a company that wants to start a social network for pet owners, has filed a federal lawsuit (pdf) against Facebook in Nashville. The company is asking for Declaratory Judgment that its name doesn’t infringe on Facebook’s trademarks. This all started when Facepets.com filed a trademark application for its name, which caught the attention ... read more ...
Tue 30th October 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Marchex readies Archeo, though what is it? - Company files trademark application with broad description. Last week Marchex filed an intent-to-use trademark application for “Archeo”. The field of use is so broad that it’s hard to pin down exactly what it’s for. The company has shifted its business to focus on pay-per-call and mobile marketing over the past few years. Here’s how Marchex describes Archeo in its trademark application: IC 035. US 100 101 102. G S: Business services, namely providing computer ... read more ...
Fri 20th July 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
CraigsList sues JamesList, a “Craigslist for a rich” - Confusingly similar yacht sales platforms. If you’ve never heard of JamesList, it may be because you aren’t in the market for a Yacht. Or you wouldn’t think of buying one used. Craigslist has sued (pdf) Jameslist, a classified site for luxury goods such as yachts, jets, and helicopters, for trademark infringement. Craigslist says JamesList’s name is confusingly similar to it, and that JamesList purposely selected its name to sound similar. Craigslist may have ... read more ...
Thu 12th July 2012
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Owners of FirstDibs.com and 1stDibs.com duke it out in court - 1stDibs.com says owner of FirstDibs.com is cybersquatting. The registrants of FirstDibs.com and 1stDibs.com are embroiled in a court battle, with the latter saying that FirstDibs.com infringes its trademarks. The owner of FirstDibs.com is seafood wholesaler Seafood Supply Company of Dallas, Texas. 1stDibs.com is an online retailer offering upscale home decor, jewelry, and real estate. In a lawsuit (pdf) filed in New York late last month, 1stDibs.com said it first ... read more ...
Fri 6th July 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Rawlings sues Wilson over Brandon Phillips Gold Glove - There’s gold in them there gloves. Just in time for the Major League Baseball All Start Game comes this lawsuit between two baseball equipment manufacturers. Rawlings Sporting Goods, which has given the “Gold Glove” award since 1957, is a bit peeved that one of its rivals has produced a glove with gold on it. The lawsuit (pdf) claims that Wilson Sporting Goods has produced an infringing baseball glove that is being used by Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon ... read more ...
Mon 2nd July 2012
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Academy Sports sues Blackwater over the new name Academi - Sports store not happy about private military company’s new name. Academy Ltd., which operates the Academy Sports + Outdoors retail chain, has sued Academi, formally known as Blackwater, for trademark infringement. Yes, that Blackwater. Academy is concerned that Academi’s negative image could tarnish its brand and that there could be consumer confusion. According to the suit (pdf), Given the corporate history of Defendant and the negative media coverage stemming ... read more ...
Sat 24th September 2011
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Is this Trademark Lawsuit Unethical or Something Worse? - Trying to get a domain name that existed before your trademark. I’m a big supporter of intellectual property rights. Unfortunately I’m stuck writing more often about lawyers and companies that overstep their bounds. The latest case: Smart Tax Holdings, LLC. The company filed a federal lawsuit (pdf) against Marchex for the domain name SmartTax.com. The plaintiff started using the name “Smart Tax” in 2006 and filed a trademark on it. The trademark was granted ... read more ...
Mon 22nd August 2011
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
iPhone Jailbreak Site Files Lawsuit Over Domain Name - Company behind Cydia app directory files lawsuit. After losing a dispute under the uniform domain name dispute resolution policy (UDRP) in March, a jailbreak iPhone app store has filed a lawsuit in an effort to get the domain name Cydia.com. Saurikit, LLC has a directory of apps that work on jailbroken iPhones and iPod Touches that it hosts at cydia.saurik.com. It also has a U.S. trademark for “Cydia”. Earlier this year it filed a UDRP to get Cydia.com. The UDRP ... read more ...
Wed 13th October 2010
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
You Probably Shouldn’t Brag About Registering a Trademark Domain Name - This isn’t a very smart thing to do. If you’re going to register a domain name including a famous trademark, you probably shouldn’t brag about it. Like this guy did [update: removed link. Guy took post down. He also has a new post up that says “I recently decided it was time to migrate my personal blog away from this business as my view points at times can be a bit controversial.”] after registering Starbucks.im. I recently picked up a few good .im ... read more ...
Mon 12th April 2010
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Mac Poker Sites Face Off, But Could Have Bigger Problems Ahead - Company sues other company over trademark…while it has Apple’s trademark in its domain name. From The Las Vegas Sun comes news of a lawsuit filed by the owner of Macpokeronline.com against the owner of macpoker.com and macpoker.net. Best Odds Corp., owner of the macpokeronline.com, filed the suit claiming MacPoker.com and MacPoker.net infringe on its trademark for Mac Poker. A trademark for Mac Poker? Yep. Best Odds Corp has been working to get this approved ... read more ...
Mon 17th March 2008
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Trademark Applications for “Domain” - A look at some of the more interesting trademark applications including the word “domain”. Filing a trademark or service mark in the United States is fairly affordable, costing as little as a few hundred dollars if you only have one class of goods or services. Here’s a look at some accepted and rejected trademarks including the word “domain”. GoDaddys Domains.com: Graham R Clark of Conroe, Texas plopped down $325 for this application, claiming a first use ... read more ...
Mon 10th March 2008
Written by DomainNameWire in EN and tagged
Cease & Desist Sent to Domain Owner Based on Redirect Service - Cease desist letter claims infringement based on ISP’s redirect service. Anyone who owns generic acronym domain names is well aware of the possibility of receiving a cease desist letter from someone claiming rights to it. This is particularly prevalent with three and four character domain names, for which any number of companies may hold a trademark or at least use the acronym. Some domain owners completely disable their acronym domains rather than park them, ... read more ...