Cybersquatting

Earlier this morning, TechCrunch reported that Apple was able to acquire the iPhone4.com domain name. The news was based on an earlier  Fusible report, although details of the deal weren’t disclosed, so it’s unknown if Apple paid for the domain name or used its legal options to secure it.

In somewhat related but different news, Verizon has finally been able to take possession of (or less likely to acquire) VerizoniPhone.com, arguably the best iPhone name for the company’s needs. I had previously reported that it appeared someone unrelated to either Verizon or Apple owned the domain name. At the time of my last article, the domain name did not resolve to the standard GoDaddy coming soon page with PPC links, so GoDaddy probably opted to not take on any risk of monetizing it.

According to my research, it appears the domain name was transferred to Verizon at some point at the end of June. I would imagine that Verizon did not purchase this domain name, since the company is known to  vehemently  protect its brand. The company has filed plenty of cybersquatting lawsuits (with a potential $100,000 penalty), and it has also filed a number of UDRPs.

Verizon Wireless is now forwarding traffic from the domain name to its iPhone lander.

Domain investors often bear the brunt of trademark interests when it comes to typosquatting and cybersquatting. In my opinion, domain investors are blamed for far more than their fair share of cybersquatting. There are plenty of companies that own trademark domain names, and they would not be considered domain investors.

When I got up to have some breakfast, my refrigerator didn’t seem to work. The freezer was functioning perfectly, but the light was out in the refrigerator and it was warm. Not only was I frustrated with the fact that I would have to throw out all of the spoiled food, but I know refrigerator parts and repairs are expensive.

The first thing I did was hit up Google and search for “sub zero repair nyc.” I found a few promising repair companies, several of which were advertising via Adwords. There are sites like speedysubzerorepair.com, subzerotechs.com, subzerorepair.biz, and even subzerorepair.CO.

Not sure about who to trust and call, I contacted Sub Zero. They told me “there are only two Factory Certified Service companies in the New York City area.”  I imagine the other companies that are advertising are capable of doing repairs and are probably licensed by someone, but the company rep told me only two companies in NYC were certified by Sub Zero.

I have no idea if those companies that use SZ marks are related in any way to the two certified repair companies, but based on the price difference between the companies, I don’t believe they are related. However, they are still using the Sub Zero trademark in domain names, which makes them look more “official.”

Domain investors often bear the brunt of TM-related cybersquatting, but in reality, this isn’t limited to domain investors.