Tag: "Warner Bros"
Warner Bros. to launch photo sharing social network called Out My Window
With photo sharing one of the fastest growing segments of social networking and services like Flickr and Instagram exploding in popularity, it looks like Warner Bros. is throwing its hat into the ring with a new photo sharing service called Out My Window.
The Coming Soon page, which can be found on outmywindow.com, went live this week with the slogan, “Share your view at the speed of life.” The home page reads:
A perfect picture. The urge to share it. From my view to your view. From my phone to your TV. With Out My Window, our photographs will always weave the stories of our lives together.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. filed well over a dozen trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in late December for Out My Window, OutMy Window and OutMyWindow.
The goods and services covered in the filings include: peer-to-peer photo and video sharing services, digital enhancement of photographs, digital imaging software, providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software and applications, and of course, social networking services provided via the internet.
The company’s latest trademark filing (Serial Number: 85500122) specifically covers, “Social networking services provided via the internet and other electronic communications networks; Providing on-line computer databases and on-line searchable databases in the field of social networking; Providing a website on the internet for the purpose of social networking.”
The filings include serial numbers 85500122, 85500376, 85500370, 85500357, 85500348, 85500336, 85500066, 85500046, 85500031, 85500017, 85499976, 85499960, 85499947, 85499927, and 85499899.
As of today, you can sign up to be notified when the service launches, but not much else.
The Terms page and Privacy page offer little in terms of details and Warner Bros. has yet to make an official announcement about Out My Window. However with the launch of the teaser page and several trademark filings, my guess is you can expect an announcement any day now.
[Update 1 on January 10, 2012: Out My Window will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. According to the LA Times it will be available to consumers in the spring. "Targeted primarily at young parents, it's designed as a new alternative for people who frequently upload and email pictures but don't want to use social networks or Web photo services that can allow pictures to be seen by outsiders."]
Discussion: Techmeme, Time, ParisLemon, The Next Web, FayerWayer, DigitalTrends.com, Electronista, Business Insider, Houston Chronicle, Social Times, Marketing Land and Pulse2
Prequel will be called 300: The Battle of Artemisium according to domains
It appears Warner Bros. Pictures has finally settled on a title for the prequel to 300 after kicking around several working titles like 300: Battle of Artemisia.
According to newly registered domain names, the film studio will go with the rumored title 300: The Battle of Artemisium.
On January 3, several names were privately registered through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor like thebattleofartemisium.com, 300thebattleofartemisium.com and 300-thebattleofartemisium.com.
Although the owner of each domain is hidden behind MarkMonitor’s privacy service DNStination, Warner Bros. is a client of MarkMonitor, so there’s little doubt that Warner Bros. is the registrant.
Last June, Warner Bros. publicly registered names like 300thebattleofartemisia.com (WHOIS), but has taken extra steps to privately register this week’s names. So if I had to speculate, I would say “300: The Battle of Artemisium” is no longer a rumored title.
Discussion: Movieline, Cinema Blend, IGN, 411Mania, FilmWatch and Celebrities.com
WB Games planning GreyFoundry video game according to trademark, domains
It appears Warner Bros. may be developing a new video game called GreyFoundry.
On December 15, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. filed four separate trademark filings (85493271, 85493265, 85493259 and 85493253) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, two of which cover video game software and online video games.
In addition to the trademark applications, it looks as though Warner Bros. may have secured the domain rights to greyfoundry.com, greyfoundry.net, and greyfoundry.org. According to WHOIS records the domains aren’t registered to Warner Bros., instead, each name is registered to Kite Inc., a full-service strategy and design firm that helps companies build brands.
Kite counts amongst its customers: WB Games Seattle (screenshot). WB Games Seattle was recently in the news after laying off dozens of employees.
At the time of this story going online, Warner Bros. has not made any announcement about a new video game called GreyFoundry.
Here’s a look at the Goods and Services covered in two of the trademark applications:
Serial Number: 85493271
Designing and developing computer game software and video game software for use with computers, video game program systems and computer networks; Computer software design; Video game development services; Video game programming development services
Serial Number: 85493265
Entertainment services, namely, providing online video games, providing online computer games, providing temporary use of non-downloadable video games; Production of video and computer game software; Entertainment services in the nature of live-action, comedy, drama and animated television series; production of live-action, comedy, drama and animated television series; distribution and display of live-action, comedy, drama and animated motion picture theatrical films; production of live-action, comedy, drama and animated motion picture theatrical films; theatrical performances both animated and live action; Internet services providing information via an electronic global computer network in the field of entertainment relating specifically to games, movies, and television; providing a web site featuring film clips, photographs and other multimedia materials; providing information for and actual entertainment via an electronic global communications network in the nature of live-action, comedy, drama and animated programs and production of live-action comedy, action and animated motion films for distribution via a global computer network; conducting contests on-line; providing a computer game that may be accessed by a telecommunications network; and electronic publishing services, namely, publication of text and graphic works of others on-line featuring articles, novelizations, scripts, comic books, strategy guides, photographs and visual materials
New Cartoon Universe game? Warner Bros. hints with domains [UPDATED]
Is Warner Bros. planning to launch a massively multiplayer online game or social game called “Cartoon Universe”?
Well, if new domain name registrations are any indication of a company’s future plans, it appears a new multiplayer online game could be in the works.
On November 29, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. registered a handful of domains like CartoonUniversegame.com, Playtheuniverse.com and looneytunescu.com.
All together, Warner Bros. registered a dozen domains on November 29, not all having to do with a game.
Here’s a look at the registrations:
cartoonuniversegame.com
cartoonuniverseonline.com
leelabeque.net
looneytunescu.com
loooneytunescartoonuniverse.com
match-heart.com
playtheuniverse.com
scoobydoocartoonuniverse.com
scoobydoocu.com
thecartoonuniverse.com
toontokens.com
wbcash.com
None of the ‘Cartoon Universe’ domain names resolve to a web page at the time of this post going online.
[Updated on May 3, 2012:. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced Cartoon Universe, a free-to-play, online world that will provide a safe, social environment for young kids to go on adventures, solve puzzles and play games with their favorite Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo! Characters.]
Talking about this story: Games.com
Slew of ‘Justice League Heroes’ domains registered by brand protection company
In 2006, Warner Bros. Games released Justice League Heroes, a video game based on the DC Comics’ Justice League of America.
Fast forward five years later to November 30, 2011, and a slew of ‘Justice League Heroes’ domains have been newly registered like justiceleagueheroes.org and joinheroes.org.
Though hidden behind WHOIS privacy, the names were registered through MarkMonitor, a company that helps more than half of Fortune 100 protect their brands online. So, it’s safe to say Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is behind the secret registrations.
The list of names include:
dc-wecanbeheroes.org
dc-wecanbeheros.org
dcwecanbeheroes.org
dcwecanbeheros.org
joinheroes.org
joinheros.org
joinjusticeleague.org
joinjusticeleagueheroes.org
joinjusticeleagueheros.org
jointheheroes.org
jointheheros.org
jointhejusticeleague.org
joinwecanbeheroes.org
joinwecanbeheros.org
justiceleagueheroes.org
justiceleagueheros.org
Is Warner Bros. planning a remake of the video game or some other service or product? Or are the domain purchases part of the company’s overall intellectual property strategy to prevent other people from using the names?
At the time of this story going online, Warner Bros. has not announced anything official.
Del Toro’s monster movie will be called ‘Still Seas’, according to domain names
Director Guillermo del Toro will begin shooting his monsters versus mechas movie for Warner Bros at the end of this month at the Pinewood Toronto Studios.
Excepted to be titled either “Pacific Rim” or “Still Seas”, it looks like an official name may have finally been decided: Still Seas.
On October 25, it appears Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. has registered three domain names for the movie including Still-Seas-movie.com, StillSeasmovie.com, and StillSeasthemovie.com.
Although the owner’s name is hidden, the names are registered to DNstination Inc., the Whois privacy service provided by well-known internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, where the domain WarnerBros.com itself is registered.
Warner Bros. did register Pacific Rim domain names earlier in March like PacificRimmovie.com and PacificRimthemovie.com, also with MarkMonitor, however neither domain resolves to a web page.
It’s possible the StillSeas domains are nothing more than defensive registrations, but considering the purchases coincide with the shooting of the film, an official announcement may be released any day now.
Here’s a look at the WHOIS record for StillSeasMovie.com.
Discussion: WhatCulture! and Movieline
Image: Gage Skidmore /Flickr
Warner Bros. Entertainment wins dispute over ThunderCats.com domain name
With the return of ThunderCats back to television, the domain name ThunderCats.com has been ordered transferred to Warner Bros. by a single member panel of the National Arbitration Forum.
The respondent in the domain dispute was Equity LLC / Name Admin of New York.
On the point of “Registration and Use in Bad Faith”, although the Honorable Charles K. McCotter, Jr. (Ret.) who served as the panelist did not find that Equity LLC had ever attempted to sell the disputed domain name, McCotter did find that the domain had a competing nature because Equity LLC had posted links to websites and businesses which sell action figure goods in competition with Warner Bros.
Of course, there is much more to the decision than just the point of “bad faith”.
You can read all the gory details of the decision through the information published online here.
HappyFeet2.com official site on the way, Warner Bros. wins domain dispute
Fans of Happy Feet will be happy to know, that soon enough, when they type in the web address happyfeet2.com into their web browser they’ll be redirected to official web site of Warner Bros’ Happy Feet 2, set to premier in the U.S. on November 17, 2011, instead of a Go Daddy parked page.
In early July, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum over the domain name happyfeet2.com.
The case was simple for the single member panel.
Warner Bros. made the following assertions according to the domain decision posted online:
Complainant is a producer of motion pictures in the United States and abroad.
Complainant produced the HAPPY FEET film that debuted in 2006 in the United States and has become the third-highest grossing animated film in the United States with sales of $400 million worldwide.
Complainant owns trademark registrations on file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for its HAPPY FEET mark (including Reg. No. 3,350,899, registered December 11, 2007).
Complainant has used the HAPPY FEET mark in relation to the marketing of its film of the same name, as well as related toys, clothing, books and a variety of other merchandise bearing its mark.
Respondent registered the <happyfeet2.com> domain name on May 12, 2009, only seven days after Complainant publicly announced that it would be filming “Happy Feet 2,” a sequel to the original film.
Respondent uses the disputed domain name to redirect Internet users, for commercial gain, to a generic parking page which features links to the websites of others offering products or services related to and in competition with Complainant’s business.
Respondent offered to sell the disputed domain name to Complainant for not less than $2,500.
Respondent’s contested <happyfeet2.com> domain name is confusingly similar to Complainant’s HAPPY FEET mark.
Respondent is not commonly known by the disputed domain, and Complainant has not authorized Respondent to use its mark in a domain name.
Respondent does not have any rights to or legitimate interests in the domain name <happyfeet2.com>.
Respondent registered and uses the disputed <happyfeet2.com> domain name in bad faith.
In essence, Warner Bros. won.
You can read all the details about the domain dispute and decision here.
Warner Bros. Entertainment does own HappyFeetTwo.com, which it redirects to the official Happy Feet Two website on warnerbros.com.
With return of ThunderCats, comes domain dispute over ThunderCats.com
An all-new ThunderCats animated series premieres on Cartoon Network tonight.
Warner Bros anticipates the series will appeal to viewers who have loved the characters all their lives as well as young newcomers to the franchise. That, according to a press release.
Now with all the hype surrounding ThunderCats, it appears Warner Bros wants to setup a website using ThunderCats.com.
The only problem is, the company doesn’t own the domain.
A domain dispute (case No. 1400583) has been filed with the National Arbitration Forum. While the name of the complainant isn’t known at this time, it’s a safe bet that it’s Warner Bros behind the filing.
Since 2003, Warner Bros has filed several disputes with the National Arbitration Forum – and won.
In one of its more recent cases, Warner Bros won hogwarts.com.
The company has only had 2 claims denied at the National Arbitration Forum. Djbatman.com in 2004 and DaisyDukes.com in 2005.
Domain dispute over ManofSteel.com, film set for release in December 2012
Updated July 20, 2011: Turns out the complainant in the case was DC Comics, not Warner Bros. A single-member panel has ruled in favor of DC Comics and ordered the domain name to be transferred. Details here.
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It appears Warner Bros wants the domain name ManofSteel.com for its big film project set to release in December 2012.
A complaint (case no. 1395018) was filed with the National Arbitration Forum (“NAF”) this week. Though the complainant isn’t known at this time, DC Comics a subsidiary company of Warner Bros has owned the trademark on “The Man of Steel” since the 1980s.
Over the last ten years, Warner Bros has filed (and won) a number of domain disputes including chasingsuperman.com, batman-costume.com, gilligansisland.com, harrypotterzone.com, justice-league.com, and dozens more. The company’s claims were denied twice, once over djbatman.com and the second time over daisydukes.com which is owned by Rick Schwartz. Rick Schwartz won the case after Warner Bros had not satisfied its burden of proof to establish bad faith registration and use under paragraph 4(a)(iii) of the Policy.
In the case of ManofSteel.com, which is currently registered to a LBR Enterprises in California, chances are the domain name will be transferred to Warner Bros. if they are the complainant.
The company also doesn’t own TheManofSteel.com, but no dispute has been filed as of yet. The domain name is currently listed for sale at Sedo for $300 USD, a cheap price compared to what the company may have to pay in legal fees (should it file a complaint) for a legal dispute that is not guaranteed to go in their favor.
