Domain and Trademark Blog

There is a new entrant at the top of the 2011 domain name sale leader board — social.com.
In the largest confirmed transaction so far this year, the domain name has changed hands for a reported $2.6 million.
The domain name was sold at an auction in Barcelona, Spain, where high levels of interest in the Web …

The world’s most famous groundhog has become embroiled in a trademark dispute, it has been reported.
According to Reuters, images of Punxsutawney Phil and Gobbler’s Knob were used without permission in a recent Super Bowl advertisement featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As such, the trademark owners, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, hired a local law firm to pursue an …

A property investment firm has acquired six domain names from cybersquatters in the last 12 months, as it continues to protect its major trademark.
HomeVestors, which holds the legal rights to the trademark We Buy Ugly Houses, said it has pursued an “aggressive” stance against cyber- and typosquatting.
The firm said it is in the process of …

Major corporations are likely to be at the head of the line when the new gTLD name application period begins, observers have noted.
Earlier this month, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) sanctioned the introduction of customized domain name suffixes, which means a whole range of Web address extensions can now be used.
It …

The domain name Writers.net has been purchased by forum community network CrowdGather, it has been revealed.
All related business assets for the content directory, which was created in 1994, have also been acquired by the new domain name owner.
Writers.net founder Stephan Spencer — widely regarded as one of the world’s top search engine optimization experts — …

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) plans to open three new cybersecurity facilities designed to provide secure digital signatures for country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).
Identical centers will be located in Zurich, San Jose and Singapore, and will offer digital signatures based on domain name system security extensions (DNSSEC).
Multiple layers of security will …

The introduction of generic top level domain names (gTLDs) could result in the creation of new country codes, it has been suggested.
Internet lobbyists in Scotland are hoping to take advantage the recent decision to introduce gTLDs by creating a .scot domain name suffix, enabling companies and organizations there country to ditch their .co.uk domain names.
The …

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has appointed a new deputy commissioner for trademark operations.
Mary Boney Denison has taken up the role, and will oversee the examination and processing of applications throughout the trademark operation.
A founding partner of Manelli Denison & Selter in Washington D.C., Denison has been an active member of the …

Sarah Palin has trademarked her name, amid rumors of a run for the U.S. presidency.
The former Alaska governor has fulfilled the requirements for securing the branding rights to her name, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
An application for trademark was made in November 2010, with the deadline for objections passing on May …

With the new generic top level domains (gTLDs) finally granted approval this week, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has begun a global campaign to raise awareness of the changes.
Beginning next year, commercial organizations will be permitted to use their own brand names in their domain name suffix. Companies willing to pay …