Talk about pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The annual GeoDomain Expo, staged by Associated Cities, has a history of presenting exceptionally high value events despite charging the lowest registration fee of any major domain industry conference. Even so, it looked like it would take a miracle to maintain their lofty standards at the 2009 show that was held at the scenic Catamaran Resort in San Diego April 23-25.
As we reported in mid March, a disagreement among AC board members on the future mission and structure of the organization took the group's focus off their showcase conference and some favored canceling as a result. The debate didn't end until March 16, so once the green light was on for good, AC leaders were left with just five weeks to put the Expo together. In a testament to their entrepreneurial skills they not only did it, they did it exceptionally well, not only living up to their previous standards but setting a few new ones along the way.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Return to Silicon Valley: Three Years After A Landmark Show in Santa Clara T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Came Back for an Encore
The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference returned to the site of one of its greatest triumphs April 27-30 when the 2009 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Silicon Valley show was staged in Santa Clara, California. Three years before, in the same location, T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu produced an event that played a key role in launching a phenomenal boom in the domain business.
That left them with a tough act to follow this time, especially since the overall economy is now mired in a severe slump. Attendance took a hit as a result but as has always been the case at T.R.A.F.F.I.C., quality trumps quantity. Here is our blow by blow account of what went down in the Valley.
2009 Domain Roundtable Provides Rousing Conclusion to the Amazing Conference Race
When I walked onto the National Mall in Washington D.C. a few days ago, I felt like I had just finished competing in The Amazing Race. I was in the nation's capital for the 2009 Domain Roundtable conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. (held June 14-16) - my sixth major domain conference in six months. Since mid-April I had averaged one show every two weeks.
Could there possibly be anything new left to talk about at Roundtable after so many shows had preceded it? Would there be any new faces left to see that I hadn't seen in the previous five shows? Could Roundtable's new owner, Thought Convergence, come up with any surprises that would make them stand out in a very large conference crowd? The answers to all three questions would turn out to be an emphatic yes.
The 2nd International Domainers Meetings will be held in Punta del Este
The 2nd International Domainers Meeting in Punta del Este 2010 will be held on February 25 and 26,2010 . If you want to register for this meeting you have to know there are some requirements .You have to either represent a group or company of Capital Investment,to own a project with online monetization,to work in an agency that uses the Internet as a means of promotion,to work in a business related to the domain market,to be a domain names investor with at least 10 domains in your portfolio,or to represent press .
You can choose between two registration methods :Basic,for which you will have to pay $30 and Full,for which you have to pay $100.
The objectives of this meeting are to talk about the domainer market direction,to learn about web development,understand and exploit the tendency of internet investments and many others.
Moreover,this meeting is an opportunity for you to relax.Punta del Este is a peninsular city in the far southern Uruguay,which is located on a narrow strip of land dividing the waters of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.
For more information about the agenda,check out : http://punta2010.demene.com/en/itinerario.html
For more information about registration ,check out: http://punta2010.demene.com/en/inscribirse.html
For more details about accommodation you can visit http://punta2010.demene.com/en/alojamiento.html
Google loses domain name dispute
Google,the American public corporation,has lost a domain name dispute over the domain name Groovle.com.
Google submitted a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum,requesting the domain name Groovle.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
They contended in the complaint that the dispute domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
"The Domain Name is “nearly identical or confusingly similar” to Complainant’s GOOGLE Mark. Minor alterations or misspellings do not eliminate the confusingly similar aspects of the Domain Name and Complainant’s mark. Here, the Domain Name is only two letters different from Complainant’s GOOGLE mark; therefore, the Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark."
Moreover,they added that the respondent,207 Media registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
On the other hand,the respondent says that it is an important difference between the two names.
"There is no misspelling of GOOGLE involved. The Disputed Domain Name contains an important “R” and important “V” that serve to distinguish the sound, appearance, meaning, and connotation of GROOVLE from GOOGLE. The addition of the “R” and the “V” clearly make the predominant word and meaning “GROOVE” or “GROOVY” rather than GOOGLE."
Because Google failed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel decided that the disputed domain name to remain with respondent
Google submitted a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum,requesting the domain name Groovle.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
They contended in the complaint that the dispute domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
"The Domain Name is “nearly identical or confusingly similar” to Complainant’s GOOGLE Mark. Minor alterations or misspellings do not eliminate the confusingly similar aspects of the Domain Name and Complainant’s mark. Here, the Domain Name is only two letters different from Complainant’s GOOGLE mark; therefore, the Domain Name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s mark."
Moreover,they added that the respondent,207 Media registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
On the other hand,the respondent says that it is an important difference between the two names.
"There is no misspelling of GOOGLE involved. The Disputed Domain Name contains an important “R” and important “V” that serve to distinguish the sound, appearance, meaning, and connotation of GROOVLE from GOOGLE. The addition of the “R” and the “V” clearly make the predominant word and meaning “GROOVE” or “GROOVY” rather than GOOGLE."
Because Google failed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel decided that the disputed domain name to remain with respondent
6m.com sells for $16,055
6m.com domain name was recently sold through Sedo for $16,055. Here are other domain names recently sold through Sedo you may find interesting:
catholicsoulmates.com 8,995 USD
speaq.com 5,000 USD
technewsdaily.com 1,000 USD
evenex.com 5,000 USD
allwhites.com 5,000 USD
pacomp.com 4,500 USD
hairextensions.info 1,400 USD
mindacademy.com 1,250 EUR
techbe.com 500 USD
For more details check out www.sedo.com
Fwcebook.com domain name on auction at Sedo
Fwcebook.com domain name,a typo of Facebook.com is for sale at Sedo. Until now there were 9 bids and the current high bid is 1,500 USD .
The auction will end tomorrow ,at 12:19 PM CET.
The owner ,Virtual Investments LLC,describes his offer on Sedo's page as "Great Traffic. Growing Double Digit Percentages Each Month."
Moreover,this is not the only typo of Facebok.com .Domain names like Fdcebook.com,Fgcebook.com,Flcebook.com ,Frcebook.com are already registered and even parked.
The auction will end tomorrow ,at 12:19 PM CET.
The owner ,Virtual Investments LLC,describes his offer on Sedo's page as "Great Traffic. Growing Double Digit Percentages Each Month."
Moreover,this is not the only typo of Facebok.com .Domain names like Fdcebook.com,Fgcebook.com,Flcebook.com ,Frcebook.com are already registered and even parked.
The first Live Domain Auctioneers auction in 2010 to begin on January 24
The first Live Domain Auctioneers auction in 2010 will begin on January 24 at 01:00 PM PST .
The last Live Domain Auctioneers auction from 2009 have some nice results.There were 175 unique domain names,all of them sold to the highest bidder,regardless of price.
The catalog hasn't been released yet,therefore there is still time for you to submit your domain names.
All the domain names will be sold to the highest bidder,regardless of price.
For more details check out www.livedomainauctioneers.com
VirnetX Enters Letter of Intent with VeriSign To Collaborate In Mobile Directory Services
VirnetX, Inc., the principal operating subsidiary of VirnetX Holding Corporation entered into a letter of intent with VeriSign, Inc. under which VirnetX and VeriSign intend to collaborate in the development of mobile directory services and solutions using secure domain names and PKI certificate infrastructure. The strategic relationship contemplated by the letter of intent remains subject to, among other things, the negotiation, execution and delivery of definitive agreements. The letter of intent also provides for a “no shop” period until March 23, 2010, during which period the parties have agreed not to solicit or encourage proposals from any other person or entity regarding a strategic relationship, the primary purpose thereof is to assess and evaluate the technical, market and commercial viability to jointly develop and provide the services contemplated by the letter of intent.
The information contained in this report is furnished and not deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.
The information contained in this report is furnished and not deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Dot TK has opened the .TK registry for free domains with full name server support
Dot TK has recently announced the oppening of the .TK registry for free domains with full name server support. The registry for .TK ,will provide its users full DNS control over their domain names.
Joost Zuurbier, CEO at Dot TK says :"Adding full name server support to our free service allows all users to register sub-domains, to use different Internet protocols and to run their websites in a more efficient way.Registrants can choose to continue to use URL forwarding or to use DNS support, with or without the combination of the Dot TK DNS Service. These flexible options are now available for everyone - and all for free."
"Not only does Dot TK allow registrants to use their own name servers, but we also allow them to manage A, MX and CNAME records of their registered domains through My Dot TK, the Dot TK web interface",says Maurice van der Meer, CTO at Dot TK.
Baylor University gets hands on bayloruniversity.com
Baylor University, a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas submitted a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum,requesting the domain name bayloruniversity.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
All started when Masterofmydomains,which is also the respondent in this case,registered the disputed domain name .
It wouldn't have been such a big problem ,if Baylor University wouldn't have been the owner of of "Baylor University" mark,registered with the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office .
Therefore,the University began the case by demonstrating the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to its "Baylor" mark.
Moreover,they contended that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
"Respondent uses the
It also seems that the respondent tried to sell the disputed domain name to complainant for $2,909.
Because the respondent failed to sub,it a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel decided the disputed domain name to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
SnapNames.com Generic/Keyword Showcase Auction : Submission now open
SnapNames Generic/Keyword Showcase Auction will begin on February 9th and will end on February 16th,2010 .
There will be accepted not only Generic and Keyword domains,but also domain names from other categories that meet other criteria.
Therefore,if you have a one or two-word domain name that must be easy to remember and easy to spell you should submit it.You should also know that domain names in e-commerce and search-engine categories are preferred.
Moreover,if your domain name went unsold at another Moniker or SnapNames auction,you should lower the reserve price.
Wal-Mart scores victory in domain name dispute
Wal-Mart ,an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores has recently won a domain name dispute .
The public corporation filed a complaint with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center,requesting two domain names,peapleofwalmart.com and walmart-winners.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
Wal-Mart owns many registered trademarks for the "Wal-Mart" mark all over the world.
Therefore,they contended that the dispute domain names are confusingly similar to its trademark.
Moreover,they also contended that the repondent registered and used the domain names in bad faith.
"The Respondent uses the disputed domain names in bad faith as the websites to which the disputed domain names resolve, make use of the Complainant’s WAL-MART and WALMART marks in order to raise advertising revenue through the use of sponsored links."
Because the respondent failed to submit a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel decided the two domain names to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
You can see the decision here .
Apple owns "iSlate" web domain [U]
Apple tonight was discovered through WHOIS records to have acquired the domain iSlate.com (currently inactive) two years ago. The company is known to have picked up the domain in 2007 and used the registrar MarkMonitor to keep the ownership secret. However, MacRumors has discovered that Apple's name was exposed for a few weeks until the identity was suppressed again.
The acquisition suggests that Apple has at least considered using the iSlate name for a product such as its rumored tablet. It's nonetheless an uncertain prospect as Apple is known to register domains out of speculation, choosing them to safeguard potential product names rather than as a sign it has committed to an actual product. Apple registered iPhone.org as early as December 1999, several years before it had even begun work on what would become the shipping iPhone.
Update: Apple is now believed to have filed for trademarks for "iSlate" in the US and Europe, possibly using a shell company in Delaware named Slate Computing for its US trademark. The front firm is described as producing computers, software, handhelds and other products that Apple makes, although none of Apple's goods are mentioned by name. TechCrunch notes the European trademark was filed by the same law firm as for Apple's MacBook trademark and with the same country (Trinidad & Tobago) in priority.
None of the new discoveries necessarily make it more likely that Apple will call any potential tablet the iSlate, though they hint at Apple showing added concern for the name beyond just a website registration.
The acquisition suggests that Apple has at least considered using the iSlate name for a product such as its rumored tablet. It's nonetheless an uncertain prospect as Apple is known to register domains out of speculation, choosing them to safeguard potential product names rather than as a sign it has committed to an actual product. Apple registered iPhone.org as early as December 1999, several years before it had even begun work on what would become the shipping iPhone.
Update: Apple is now believed to have filed for trademarks for "iSlate" in the US and Europe, possibly using a shell company in Delaware named Slate Computing for its US trademark. The front firm is described as producing computers, software, handhelds and other products that Apple makes, although none of Apple's goods are mentioned by name. TechCrunch notes the European trademark was filed by the same law firm as for Apple's MacBook trademark and with the same country (Trinidad & Tobago) in priority.
None of the new discoveries necessarily make it more likely that Apple will call any potential tablet the iSlate, though they hint at Apple showing added concern for the name beyond just a website registration.
Apple acquired iSlate.com domain name back in 2007
A little bit of Internet sleuthing has uncovered that Apple acquired the iSlate.com domain name back in 2007.
With Apple now believed to be planning an important, and perhaps tablet-related, announcement on January 26th, the rumors surrounding Apple's potentially next big thing continue to build. Most recently, MacRumors did a little bit of sleuthing on Christmas Eve and discovered that Apple purchased the iSlate.com domain name in 2007.
If you check the ownership information now, the only entry that comes up is for Markmonitor.com which happens to be a company who purchases domain names on behalf of large corporations when the ownership of certain domains needs to be kept under wraps. Naturally, this find has prompted many to believe that Apple's rumored tablet will be called an "iSlate".
Also noteworthy is that Apple also, it turns out, owns the trademarks for iSlate and MagicSlate. Could these, perhaps, be upcoming Apple products? Or, is Apple just snatching up domain names and trademarks that it may consider using in the future?
Lastly, I should point out that this isn't the first time we've seen a reference to a slate device as it pertains to Apple. Back in October, New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller brought up an "impending Apple slate" during a talk to the paper's digital staff. A video of that presentation can be viewed below, with the relevant portion of the talk beginning at about 8 minutes in.
With Apple now believed to be planning an important, and perhaps tablet-related, announcement on January 26th, the rumors surrounding Apple's potentially next big thing continue to build. Most recently, MacRumors did a little bit of sleuthing on Christmas Eve and discovered that Apple purchased the iSlate.com domain name in 2007.
If you check the ownership information now, the only entry that comes up is for Markmonitor.com which happens to be a company who purchases domain names on behalf of large corporations when the ownership of certain domains needs to be kept under wraps. Naturally, this find has prompted many to believe that Apple's rumored tablet will be called an "iSlate".
Also noteworthy is that Apple also, it turns out, owns the trademarks for iSlate and MagicSlate. Could these, perhaps, be upcoming Apple products? Or, is Apple just snatching up domain names and trademarks that it may consider using in the future?
Lastly, I should point out that this isn't the first time we've seen a reference to a slate device as it pertains to Apple. Back in October, New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller brought up an "impending Apple slate" during a talk to the paper's digital staff. A video of that presentation can be viewed below, with the relevant portion of the talk beginning at about 8 minutes in.
Apple buys iSlate.com domain, as shares reach record high
Apple's long-awaited internet tablet device should finally be with us just weeks after the start of 2010 after fresh developments all-but-confirmed its arrival at the end of January.
News that Apple has bought up the domain name iSlate.com has helped the company's shares to reach an all-time-high over the festive season after months of speculation finally draws to an end.
According to reports, Apple has also booked a San Francisco convention centre for 26th January, where the announcement is scheduled to be made to the world.
The iSlate.com purchase is the first real indication of what the device, which is set to be akin to a bumper iPod touch with a 10-inch screen, willl actually be called. Shares rose to a peak of $209.06 on Christmas Eve meaning a 145 per cent rise in the company's portfolio for 2009.
News that Apple has bought up the domain name iSlate.com has helped the company's shares to reach an all-time-high over the festive season after months of speculation finally draws to an end.
According to reports, Apple has also booked a San Francisco convention centre for 26th January, where the announcement is scheduled to be made to the world.
The iSlate.com purchase is the first real indication of what the device, which is set to be akin to a bumper iPod touch with a 10-inch screen, willl actually be called. Shares rose to a peak of $209.06 on Christmas Eve meaning a 145 per cent rise in the company's portfolio for 2009.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Internet attack blocks some California consumers from reaching Amazon.com
A distributed denial of service attack Wednesday left consumers in northern California unable to access web sites that use the Internet domain name system operated by Neustar Inc., the company says. The sites included Amazon.com, according to the retailer.
The attack reportedly prevented consumers from reaching several major e-commerce sites, though a Neustar spokesman declined to confirm any impact on particular sites and noted that Neustar rectified the effect of the denial of service attack within well under an hour.
But a Twitter communication by Jeff Barr, Amazon.com Inc.s senior manager, web services evangelism, noted that the attack on Neustars UltraDNS domain name system took down Amazons S3 Simple Storage Server and Amazons EC2 Elastic Compute Cloud service as well as Amazon.com. Amazons EC2 provides Internet-based computing services.
Efforts to reach Barr for direct comment were unsuccessful. But the retailer notes on its Amazon Web Services Health Dashboard web site that its S3, EC2 and Amazon Private Cloud operations experienced issues with the domain name system. Amazon Private Cloud also provides Internet-based computing services.
The dashboard notes that Amazon identified problems with the domain name system on Dec. 23 between 5:43 p.m. and 6:19 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, and that the issues were resolved the same day between 6:38 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.
Neustar released the following statement on Dec. 24: At 7:45 pm East Coast Time yesterday [Dec. 23] we noticed an abnormal spike in queries and immediately identified it as a distributed denial of service attack. We analyzed the patterns and were able to place mitigation measures in place within minutes of identifying the attack.
We had everything under control well under an hour. The attack was limited to Northern California Internet users. All along the way we were proactively communication to our customers to let them know exactly what was happening and the steps we were taking.
A domain name system translates the popular names of web sites, such as Amazon.com and Walmart.com, into the numerical identifiers that ties the addresses to the web servers on which a web site operates. In effect, a domain name system directs traffic from branded web site addresses to the actual servers supporting the requested web sites.
In a distributed denial of service attack on a domain name system, computer network hackers send many requests to connect to web sites, overloading the system and causing it to function slowly or sporadically, if at all.
Amazon is No. 1 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide (a PDF version of the companys financial and operating profile can be ordered by clicking on its name).
The attack reportedly prevented consumers from reaching several major e-commerce sites, though a Neustar spokesman declined to confirm any impact on particular sites and noted that Neustar rectified the effect of the denial of service attack within well under an hour.
But a Twitter communication by Jeff Barr, Amazon.com Inc.s senior manager, web services evangelism, noted that the attack on Neustars UltraDNS domain name system took down Amazons S3 Simple Storage Server and Amazons EC2 Elastic Compute Cloud service as well as Amazon.com. Amazons EC2 provides Internet-based computing services.
Efforts to reach Barr for direct comment were unsuccessful. But the retailer notes on its Amazon Web Services Health Dashboard web site that its S3, EC2 and Amazon Private Cloud operations experienced issues with the domain name system. Amazon Private Cloud also provides Internet-based computing services.
The dashboard notes that Amazon identified problems with the domain name system on Dec. 23 between 5:43 p.m. and 6:19 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, and that the issues were resolved the same day between 6:38 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.
Neustar released the following statement on Dec. 24: At 7:45 pm East Coast Time yesterday [Dec. 23] we noticed an abnormal spike in queries and immediately identified it as a distributed denial of service attack. We analyzed the patterns and were able to place mitigation measures in place within minutes of identifying the attack.
We had everything under control well under an hour. The attack was limited to Northern California Internet users. All along the way we were proactively communication to our customers to let them know exactly what was happening and the steps we were taking.
A domain name system translates the popular names of web sites, such as Amazon.com and Walmart.com, into the numerical identifiers that ties the addresses to the web servers on which a web site operates. In effect, a domain name system directs traffic from branded web site addresses to the actual servers supporting the requested web sites.
In a distributed denial of service attack on a domain name system, computer network hackers send many requests to connect to web sites, overloading the system and causing it to function slowly or sporadically, if at all.
Amazon is No. 1 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide (a PDF version of the companys financial and operating profile can be ordered by clicking on its name).
Life in the Fast Lane: Rick Latona Got a Late Start But He's Quickly Closing In on the Competition
Over the last few years the domain industry has been going through a consolidation stage in which bigger fish swallow up smaller ones, creating industry conglomerates like NameMedia, Demand Media, Oversee.net and Thought Convergence. With venture capitalists pumping tens of millions of dollars into the space, it seemed obvious that the game was over for self-financed entrepreneurs with dreams of grandeur. They couldn't possibly compete against the new domain industry behemoths. Apparently Rick Latona never got that memo.
Even though he didn't go full time in the domain business until 2007 the 37-year-old serial entrepreneur from Atlanta has turned the old order upside down. He has built a conglomerate of his own that ranges from domain financing to direct domain sales to online domain auctions to live auction sales to staging the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain conference under a partnership agreement with the show's co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu. Whew!
Even though he didn't go full time in the domain business until 2007 the 37-year-old serial entrepreneur from Atlanta has turned the old order upside down. He has built a conglomerate of his own that ranges from domain financing to direct domain sales to online domain auctions to live auction sales to staging the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain conference under a partnership agreement with the show's co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu. Whew!
2009 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York Conference Marks the End of an Era
The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York conference that ran at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott October 26-29 marked the end of an era for the domain industry. This show came on the 5th anniversary of a collaboration between co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu that began with a historic event at the Delray Beach, Florida Marriott in October 2004. Now, after staging 15 shows together and licensing two others overseas, the pioneering duo is turning the reins over to Rick Latona who will be fully responsible for five of the six T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conferences scheduled for 2010.
Schwartz and Neu will resurface on the show circuit only once in the upcoming year, having retained the rights to run a big show in their home state of Florida at the Loews Hotel on Miami's South Beach in October 2010 (October 17-19, 2010 to be specific). Though not exactly their swan song, this third consecutive annual show in the Big Apple was a fitting first class send off for Schwartz and Neu as they begin a 12-month break from the show production grind.
Schwartz and Neu will resurface on the show circuit only once in the upcoming year, having retained the rights to run a big show in their home state of Florida at the Loews Hotel on Miami's South Beach in October 2010 (October 17-19, 2010 to be specific). Though not exactly their swan song, this third consecutive annual show in the Big Apple was a fitting first class send off for Schwartz and Neu as they begin a 12-month break from the show production grind.
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group wins domain name dispute
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group,a British banking and insurance holding company has recently won a domain name dispute. The complainant,represented in this case by James A. Thomas,submitted a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum,requesting the disputed domain name,mintmastercard.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
The financial services company has many registrations of the "Mint" mark.Therefore,they contended that the domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
Moreover,the complainant contended that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
"Respondent is using the domain name to resolve to a website containing links to third-party websites, some of which directly compete with Complainant. The Panel finds Respondent is using the disputed domain name to disrupt Complainant’s business by diverting Internet users to Complainant’s competitors. This is evidence of bad faith registration and use ."
" Respondent receives click-through fees for diverting Internet users to third-party websites. Internet users accessing Respondent’s domain name may become confused as to Complainant’s affiliation with the resulting website. The Panel therefore finds that Respondent’s use of the domain name constitutes bad faith registration and use."
Because the respondent failed to submit a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel decided the disputed domain name to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
The financial services company has many registrations of the "Mint" mark.Therefore,they contended that the domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
Moreover,the complainant contended that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
"Respondent is using the
" Respondent receives click-through fees for diverting Internet users to third-party websites. Internet users accessing Respondent’s
Because the respondent failed to submit a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel decided the disputed domain name to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
Apple owns "iSlate" domain name
Apple was discovered through WHOIS records to have acquired the domain iSlate.com two years ago.
The company is known to have picked up the domain in 2007 and used the registrar MarkMonitor to keep the ownership secret. However, MacRumors has discovered that Apple's name was exposed for a few weeks until the identity was suppressed again.
The acquisition suggests that Apple has at least considered using the iSlate name for a product such as its rumored tablet. It's nonetheless an uncertain prospect as Apple is known to register domains out of speculation, choosing them to safeguard potential product names rather than as a sign it has committed to an actual product. Apple registered iPhone.org as early as December 1999, several years before it had even begun work on what would become the shipping iPhone.
Google gets hands on googlebuzz.com
Google submitted a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum,requesting the domain name googlebuzz.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant. Google is the owner of numerous registered trademarks all over the world.They have also establish rights in the Google mark through its registration of the mark .
Therefore,they contended ion the complaint that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
Moreover,they contended that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
" Respondent registered the domain name August 31, 2004, the disputed domain name has resolved to a parked website that displays hyperlinks to third-party websites, some of which directly compete with Complainant. The Panel finds that Respondent’s use of the disputed domain name disrupts Respondent’s business. The Panel further finds that Respondent’s actions constitute bad faith registration and use ."
Because the respondent failed to submit a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel ordered the disputed domain name to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
Therefore,they contended ion the complaint that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
Moreover,they contended that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
" Respondent registered the
Because the respondent failed to submit a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel ordered the disputed domain name to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
Twitter domain hijacking highlights DNS security weaknesses
Twitter's inability to control its Domain Name System (DNS) IP addresses is a common problem among enterprises, according to experts, who said last week's incident highlights the need for better DNS security and tougher authentication processes with DNS registrars. Attackers have focused on authoritative name servers – those that are configured to return answers to queries about specific domain names. Microsoft's domains have come under fire and several hackers were charged in May for hijacking Comcast.net in 2008 by contacting Network Solutions, the company's domain registrar and using credentials from a hacked Comcast email account.
DNS security risks were again highlighted last week when a hacking group, claiming to be the Iranian Cyber Army, used a stolen password to log into Twitter's DNS settings. The group changed the DNS records, redirecting the traffic to a web page for about an hour on Friday. Visitors to Twitter were redirected to a page displaying an image of a green flag and Arabic writing that announced that Twitter had "been hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army."
DNS security risks were again highlighted last week when a hacking group, claiming to be the Iranian Cyber Army, used a stolen password to log into Twitter's DNS settings. The group changed the DNS records, redirecting the traffic to a web page for about an hour on Friday. Visitors to Twitter were redirected to a page displaying an image of a green flag and Arabic writing that announced that Twitter had "been hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army."
Sedo's Premium Auction to be held January 21,2010
Sedo,the leading online domain marketplace and monetization provider will hold its first Premium Auction on January 21,2010 .
There will be many interesting and valuable domain names for sale ,such as :
1234.de
2a.com
3p.com
bor.net
gmh.com
heist.net
hypnotize.net
ster.co.uk
yib.net
artfloral.net
aton.co.uk
celebridades.de
festivals.de
paginasweb.es
HP wins domain name dispute
Hewlett-Packard Development Company and Hewlett-Packard Company submitted a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum requesting the domain name hpdrivercenter.com to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant. Both,Hewlett-Packard Development Company and Hewlett-Packard Company own many trademark regostrations for the "HP" mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The complainant,represented by Molly Buck Richard ,contended in the complaint that the disputed domain name is confusingly similar to its trademark.
Moreover,it contended that the respondent registered and used the domain name in bad faith.
"Respondent’s use of the confusingly similar disputed domain name in order to profit by intentionally attracting Internet users to its website by creating a strong likelihood of confusion with Complainant’s HP mark is further evidence of bad faith ."
"The Panel finds that Respondent’s registration and use of the domain name to attract Internet users seeking Complainant’s goods and services and redirect them to Respondent’s website constitutes a disruption of Complainant’s business and constitutes bad faith registration and use ."
Because the respondent failed to submit a response in this proceeding and because the complainant managed to demonstrate all the elements needed,the Panel ordered the disputed domain name to be transferred from the respondent to the complainant.
E-numbering can help India avoid 11-digit regime
India can adopt telephone number mapping to avoid migrating from 10-digit mobile number to an 11-digit number. The ever-increasing number of fresh subscribers every month has exhausted the allotment of new serial mobile numbers available with the department of telecom (DoT), forcing the industry to seek migration to the 11-digit solution.
The national numbering plan 2003 was formulated to meet the growing mobile subscriber base in the country. The 10-digit numbering pattern was projected to meet the industry growth figures for the next 50 years. However, the 10-digit number series has already got exhausted in six years.
The national numbering plan 2003 was formulated to meet the growing mobile subscriber base in the country. The 10-digit numbering pattern was projected to meet the industry growth figures for the next 50 years. However, the 10-digit number series has already got exhausted in six years.
ICANN 2009 Annual Report Published
The 2009 Annual Report [PDF, 5.7M] for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has been published online today. As you can see, it is changed only incrementally from last year’s and is somewhat slimmed down. Publishing an annual report is part of ICANN’s practice over the last several years, and an explicit commitment made in the Affirmation of Commitments signed in September 2009.
New for this year:
* The report covers high-level accomplishments of IANA, Community Policy work, and Security, as opposed to an ICANN staff, unit-by-unit review
* A three-page overview of actual outcomes compared with Operating Plan objectives; this is intended to provide the community a summary view of achievement of the plan
Carried over from previous years:
* Information about Board members past and present
* Audited financials
* Operating Plan themes
* Detailed executive compensation information and overall compensation philosophy
* Key accomplishments from each ICANN meeting
ICANN Publishes the December 2009 Semi-Annual Contractual Compliance Report
CANN’s Contractual Compliance Department published its fourth Semi-Annual Contractual Compliance Report [PDF, 475K]. This report summarizes ICANN’s compliance activities from January through November 2009. During this period, ICANN continued work on two studies (Whois accuracy and domain names registered using a privacy or proxy service); completed work on two audits to determine registrar compliance with the Expired Domain Deletion Policy, and issued an advisory to clarify one of its provisions; monitored and investigated claims of Whois inaccuracy; and held a UDRP workshop. This report contains details regarding each of the studies, audits and activities.
Comments regarding this report, ICANN’s Contractual Compliance Program, or any other compliance related matters may be registered at compliance-comments@icann.org. Posted comments can be viewed at forum.icann.org/lists/compliance-comments.
Comments regarding this report, ICANN’s Contractual Compliance Program, or any other compliance related matters may be registered at compliance-comments@icann.org. Posted comments can be viewed at forum.icann.org/lists/compliance-comments.
Fears Russians will not support cyrillic TLD
The Russian government is supporting the introduction of a Cyrillic internationalised Top Level Domain, but the Russian public does not seem so keen to follow, reports The New York Times.
The Times says “computer users are worried that Cyrillic domains will give rise to a hermetic Russian Web, a sort of cyberghetto, and that the push for Cyrillic amounts to a plot by the security services to restrict access to the Internet. Russian companies are also resisting Cyrillic Web addresses, complaining about costs and threats to online security.”
One person quoted on the introduction of IDNs says “This is one more step toward isolation” with concerns about the ability of the Russian government to introduce more censorship.
And a representative from Yandex, Russia’s leading search engine, says he does not see Cyrillic domains being popular. He believes that few than ten per cent of registrants would favour Cyrillic domains.
The Times says “computer users are worried that Cyrillic domains will give rise to a hermetic Russian Web, a sort of cyberghetto, and that the push for Cyrillic amounts to a plot by the security services to restrict access to the Internet. Russian companies are also resisting Cyrillic Web addresses, complaining about costs and threats to online security.”
One person quoted on the introduction of IDNs says “This is one more step toward isolation” with concerns about the ability of the Russian government to introduce more censorship.
And a representative from Yandex, Russia’s leading search engine, says he does not see Cyrillic domains being popular. He believes that few than ten per cent of registrants would favour Cyrillic domains.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Country Domain Name Russia.com Sells For A Crazy $1.5 Million
The domain name Russia.com has been bought by an undisclosed buyer for an eye-popping $1.5 million dollars.
The sale was carried out at auction site Sedo.com and it looks like the hefty price tag was well worth the money, with Russia.com having 8,723 unique visitors per month and a SEO score of 95%.
The company selling the domain is NewMedia Holdings – who is no stranger to the country geo domain space. The Russia.com site is currently an online guide for travellers who are thinking about visiting the country but is managed by Paley Media, a consultancy firm that also runs other country name domains including Algeria.com, Scotland.com, Nepal.com and Ukraine.com.
New Media Holdings also registered a number of desirable and high-value domains back in May 1995 including Airplanes.com, AutoRacing.com, Birds.com, HorseRacing.com, Musicians.com and StockMarkets.com.
It looks like values of .com domains may be rising again, insurance broker insure.com just sold its name and corresponding website for a whopping $16 million last month.
The sale was carried out at auction site Sedo.com and it looks like the hefty price tag was well worth the money, with Russia.com having 8,723 unique visitors per month and a SEO score of 95%.
The company selling the domain is NewMedia Holdings – who is no stranger to the country geo domain space. The Russia.com site is currently an online guide for travellers who are thinking about visiting the country but is managed by Paley Media, a consultancy firm that also runs other country name domains including Algeria.com, Scotland.com, Nepal.com and Ukraine.com.
New Media Holdings also registered a number of desirable and high-value domains back in May 1995 including Airplanes.com, AutoRacing.com, Birds.com, HorseRacing.com, Musicians.com and StockMarkets.com.
It looks like values of .com domains may be rising again, insurance broker insure.com just sold its name and corresponding website for a whopping $16 million last month.
Launch of Russian .РФ (.rf) Domain Signals Global Internet Revolution
In a dramatic new development to the familiar landscape of Internet domains, the launch of the new Russian national top level domain .РФ (.rf) has enabled users to register the first set of Cyrillic domain names in a striking move away from traditional Latin characters.
Russia has long been keen to pioneer the concept of a more authentic International Domain Name for its country, specially designed for its 45 million Internet users, to raise the importance of Russian as a global language.
According to the Russian Minister of Communications, Igor Shchegolev, "Russia is among the leaders of the world internet community. The use of Russian language domain names will become a new and significant phase in the development of the Russian internet segment."
More than 2 million .ru domain names have been registered to date and the new .РФ is expected to be even more popular as the number of domestic users continues to increase significantly. Russian is spoken worldwide from the Czech Republic to the United States via Latvia, Slovakia and Israel amongst other countries.
Excessive registration prices, expected to reach 10 million rubles ($347,500) per domain, were set for the first registration period in order to restrain cornering. This sunrise or grace period follows the launch of all new TLDs which allows businesses to protect trademarks by snapping up domain names at initially high asking prices. Companies and organisations must prove that the trademark is already owned and recognised by that country.
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers which runs the IP addresses and domain names we are all familiar with, remains a vital player in this new domains gold rush. Its newly shown openness to the expansion of IDNs means that we could soon see the Internet become even more global than before as local languages are used and whole sections of cyberspace opened up for specific international Internet communities.
Russia has long been keen to pioneer the concept of a more authentic International Domain Name for its country, specially designed for its 45 million Internet users, to raise the importance of Russian as a global language.
According to the Russian Minister of Communications, Igor Shchegolev, "Russia is among the leaders of the world internet community. The use of Russian language domain names will become a new and significant phase in the development of the Russian internet segment."
More than 2 million .ru domain names have been registered to date and the new .РФ is expected to be even more popular as the number of domestic users continues to increase significantly. Russian is spoken worldwide from the Czech Republic to the United States via Latvia, Slovakia and Israel amongst other countries.
Excessive registration prices, expected to reach 10 million rubles ($347,500) per domain, were set for the first registration period in order to restrain cornering. This sunrise or grace period follows the launch of all new TLDs which allows businesses to protect trademarks by snapping up domain names at initially high asking prices. Companies and organisations must prove that the trademark is already owned and recognised by that country.
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers which runs the IP addresses and domain names we are all familiar with, remains a vital player in this new domains gold rush. Its newly shown openness to the expansion of IDNs means that we could soon see the Internet become even more global than before as local languages are used and whole sections of cyberspace opened up for specific international Internet communities.
Egypt Launches First Arabic Domain Name
Egypt will open the world’s first Arabic language domain name as part of ICANN’s fast track process for internationalised domains. The new domain name will apparently be “.masr” written in the Arabic alphabet which translates as “Egypt.”
Egypt’s communications minister Tarek Kamel said: "It is a great moment for us... The internet now speaks Arabic."
Last month ICANN voted to allow multi language web addresses. Previously, a domain name such as.com, .co.uk, .org etc. had to be written in Latin script. The effort is part of a broader movement to expand both access and content in developing nations.
China is also said to be applying for a Chinese TLD. According to reports, China will apply for the top-level Chinese domain name "Zhongguo"(written in pinyin).
ICANN President Rod Beckstrom described the importance of this change to the global Internet community, by saying "over half the Internet users around the world don't use a Latin-based script as their native language. IDNs are about making the Internet more global and accessible for everyone."
Once the requests are evaluated and approved, new ccTLD IDNs are expected to come online in many countries during 2010.
Egypt’s communications minister Tarek Kamel said: "It is a great moment for us... The internet now speaks Arabic."
Last month ICANN voted to allow multi language web addresses. Previously, a domain name such as.com, .co.uk, .org etc. had to be written in Latin script. The effort is part of a broader movement to expand both access and content in developing nations.
China is also said to be applying for a Chinese TLD. According to reports, China will apply for the top-level Chinese domain name "Zhongguo"(written in pinyin).
ICANN President Rod Beckstrom described the importance of this change to the global Internet community, by saying "over half the Internet users around the world don't use a Latin-based script as their native language. IDNs are about making the Internet more global and accessible for everyone."
Once the requests are evaluated and approved, new ccTLD IDNs are expected to come online in many countries during 2010.
Ready for café.eu. Internationalised domains launch.
The big news this week is that .eu and Domainmonster will be launching IDN’s (Internationalized Domain Names) this Thursday 10th December 2009 at 10am UTC. Not only is it launching in just a couple of days, but without a Sunrise (Trademark Holders) or Landrush (Premium Public) period. Its going straight to general availability to the public and at regular .eu pricing!
Supporting all 23 of the official European Union languages across the five Unicode character sets of Latin, Latin Extended, Cyrillic , Greek and Greek Extended, the opportunity for registering domains that correctly the most popular EU languages and dialects is now vast.
The examples are endless, but think "café.eu" in French or "teléfono.eu" for telephone in Spanish, both names now possible and far more likely to be trafficked than their traditional ASCII counterparts on keyboards across Europe.
Domainmonster will be accepting pre-orders from early Tuesday (8th December 2009) on a first come first served basis (Taking only one p
Supporting all 23 of the official European Union languages across the five Unicode character sets of Latin, Latin Extended, Cyrillic , Greek and Greek Extended, the opportunity for registering domains that correctly the most popular EU languages and dialects is now vast.
The examples are endless, but think "café.eu" in French or "teléfono.eu" for telephone in Spanish, both names now possible and far more likely to be trafficked than their traditional ASCII counterparts on keyboards across Europe.
Domainmonster will be accepting pre-orders from early Tuesday (8th December 2009) on a first come first served basis (Taking only one p
New European IDN Domain Name Launches in 23 EU Languages
A new European domain name allowing domains to be entered into web browsers (EU IDN) using all 23 official European Union languages is set to launch this Thursday, 10th December, 10am GMT, announces Domainmonster.com.
Internet users will now be able to enter .eu domain names into their browser using their local keyboard, dialect and language, opening up Internet accessibility throughout Europe.
Whether you want to watch the fútbol in español or spend Noël in Méribel, a brand new web is being created for the half billion population of the European Union; all now able to enter web addresses in their local language and scripts.
"This is an entirely new way of thinking on the web," commented Matt Mansell, CEO, Domainmonster.com. "European businesses and consumers, previously forced to communicate in a limited ASCII character set, can now advertise, communicate and navigate the Internet as they do every day life," he continued.
With no Sunrise (Trademark Holders Only) or Landrush (Premium public) periods to this new domain, competition will be intense when the doors open in less than 48 hours. "This is the first launch we’ve seen that isn’t protecting rights holders with a sunrise period" commented Pete Osmond, Product Manager, Domainmonster.com. "Brands like Telefónica will be keen to protect their correctly accented real estate and the astute domain community will be securing the finest generic domains,
Internet users will now be able to enter .eu domain names into their browser using their local keyboard, dialect and language, opening up Internet accessibility throughout Europe.
Whether you want to watch the fútbol in español or spend Noël in Méribel, a brand new web is being created for the half billion population of the European Union; all now able to enter web addresses in their local language and scripts.
"This is an entirely new way of thinking on the web," commented Matt Mansell, CEO, Domainmonster.com. "European businesses and consumers, previously forced to communicate in a limited ASCII character set, can now advertise, communicate and navigate the Internet as they do every day life," he continued.
With no Sunrise (Trademark Holders Only) or Landrush (Premium public) periods to this new domain, competition will be intense when the doors open in less than 48 hours. "This is the first launch we’ve seen that isn’t protecting rights holders with a sunrise period" commented Pete Osmond, Product Manager, Domainmonster.com. "Brands like Telefónica will be keen to protect their correctly accented real estate and the astute domain community will be securing the finest generic domains,
Bye Bye Bit.ly: Google Launch Google URL Shortener
With already almost 90 per cent of UK search engine market share, it appears that Google just want more. Now Google are turning their hand to the short URL game. The search engine has launched its own URL shortening service called "goo.gll."
The URL shortener service - which squeezes a long URL into fewer characters – is commonly used by people who want to share links online such as micro-bloggers and Twitter users. But it seems Google’s goo.gl has many other benefits. The URL's are now automatically checked to detect sites that may be malicious and Google promises a top speed service.
At the moment it is only being used for Google Toolbar and Feedburner, but Google announced it could well be launched for a wider audience.
But it seems Google are not the only one who want a piece of the short URL pie. Many other platforms are developing their own shorteners for long domains and URL paths in house, such as Facebook and Digg. Facebook's "Fb.me" is currently being used for URLs on its mobile interface.
So it looks like bit.ly – the most widely-used URL shortener – may have to fight hard against its new competition.
Let the games begin!
The URL shortener service - which squeezes a long URL into fewer characters – is commonly used by people who want to share links online such as micro-bloggers and Twitter users. But it seems Google’s goo.gl has many other benefits. The URL's are now automatically checked to detect sites that may be malicious and Google promises a top speed service.
At the moment it is only being used for Google Toolbar and Feedburner, but Google announced it could well be launched for a wider audience.
But it seems Google are not the only one who want a piece of the short URL pie. Many other platforms are developing their own shorteners for long domains and URL paths in house, such as Facebook and Digg. Facebook's "Fb.me" is currently being used for URLs on its mobile interface.
So it looks like bit.ly – the most widely-used URL shortener – may have to fight hard against its new competition.
Let the games begin!
VeriSign to Increase .Com & .Net Domain Name Fees
VeriSign, Inc. the .com and .net registry has announced a price increase for both .com and .net domain names. The registry sent an announcement to Domainmonster explaining they will increase the registration and renewal fees for .com and .net domains effective from July 1 2010.
VeriSign – who have not increased their prices in 2009 – will raise fees by 7%, the maximum allowed under the terms of their ICANN agreement. We have no news yet on the impact this will have on our pricing at Domainmonster.com, but as always we shall certainly keep any increase as small as we possibly can.
And it’s no wonder the .com registry are finding it necessary to increase its prices. VeriSign’s global infrastructure is said to have increased to more than 50 billion queries today from an average 2 billion queries a day in 2000. Throughout they have maintained operational accuracy and stability with the DNS at the very top level, maintaining 100% uptime for the last eleven years.
As the economy and society becomes increasingly dependent on digital technology, it is paramount that investment is made in the underlying infrastructure. We think VeriSign’s price increase will be a fair reflection on the ever increasing robust demand for the internet
VeriSign – who have not increased their prices in 2009 – will raise fees by 7%, the maximum allowed under the terms of their ICANN agreement. We have no news yet on the impact this will have on our pricing at Domainmonster.com, but as always we shall certainly keep any increase as small as we possibly can.
And it’s no wonder the .com registry are finding it necessary to increase its prices. VeriSign’s global infrastructure is said to have increased to more than 50 billion queries today from an average 2 billion queries a day in 2000. Throughout they have maintained operational accuracy and stability with the DNS at the very top level, maintaining 100% uptime for the last eleven years.
As the economy and society becomes increasingly dependent on digital technology, it is paramount that investment is made in the underlying infrastructure. We think VeriSign’s price increase will be a fair reflection on the ever increasing robust demand for the internet
Sunday, December 20, 2009
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