With the release of the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V fast approaching, Take-Two has been aggressively going after fake beta websites like gta5betacode.com by filing complaints with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Since the beginning of the year, the video game company has filed more than two dozen disputes, and so far, every decision that has been issued by a panel has gone in the company’s favor.
Riding a wave of success, the company has now set its sights on the four-letter domain GTAV.com, which is currently registered to a resident of Spain according to WHOIS records.
Case Number D2013-1382 popped up on WIPO’s website earlier today.
At the time of this posting, GTAV.com redirects users to the official Grand Theft Auto V website located at: http://www.rockstargames.com/V/.
As late as February of this year, however, GTAV.com was a blog centered on the upcoming video game. According to screenshots.com, the site had been online since March 2012.
Below is a screenshot of the blog from February 2013.
This dispute may or may not be a win for Take-Two.
The current registrant has had the name since at least 2008 according to WHOIS history.
And as the recent case of WiiU.com shows, it’s no slam dunk.
UPDATE 1 August 16, 2013: Take-Two has taken control of the GTAV.com domain name.
Talking about this story: IGN, Joystiq, VG247, Examiner.com, Computerandvideogames.com, NowGamer, Game Politics, Vandal, PlayNation.de, Latinos Post, GameZone, XGN Entertainment, GamerZona, VR-Zone, JVN.com, Eurogamer, MeriStation, PlayGround.ru, 3DNews, PC Games Hardware, PC Games and Gameblog
(Image of GTA V via RockstarGames.com)