Month: December 2012

Categories
News Technology

Facebook to launch Publishing Garage to help brands create better connections

Facebook

Facebook Publishing Garage

It may not be official just yet, but all signs point to Facebook launching Facebook Publishing Garage, “a program geared at building world-class social publishing systems that enable brands to create the most meaningful connections with their connections and their friends through News Feed stories.”

Not only did Facebook register several domain names yesterday related to “Publishing Garage”, like PublishingGarage.com (WHOIS) and FacebookPublishingGarage.com (WHOIS), but a quick internet search for “Facebook Publishing Garage” brings up the website of Addie Marino, a Creative Strategist at Facebook in New York City, whose logo design work includes this new program.

One of Marino’s pages showcases the logo design work and provides more information about the program:

Facebook Publishing Garage.
Logo Design Exploration. 2012.

Challenge. Design an identity for the newly launched Facebook Publishing Garage — a program geared at building world-class social publishing systems that enable brands to create the most meaningful connections with their connections and their friends through News Feed stories.

Solution. Products are built in factories, warehouses, and garages across the world. This logo embodies the roll-up-your-sleeves kind of work that is “built” and “shipped” during the intensive three-day publishing workshop. The graph nodes and hexagon and pay homage to existing elements used throughout Facebook’s visual system. The result, is a play on familiar tools — a wrench and socket — used to build.

Results. More stories shared.

Here’s a screen shot of the web page:

Addie Marino

In addition to PublishingGarage.com and FacebookPublishingGarage.com on December 19, 2012, the social networking company also registered the following names:

http://whois.domaintools.com/facebookpublishinggarage.net
http://whois.domaintools.com/facebookpublishinggarage.org
http://whois.domaintools.com/facebookpublishinggarage.co.uk
http://whois.domaintools.com/publishinggarage.net
http://whois.domaintools.com/publishinggarage.org
http://whois.domaintools.com/publishinggarage.co.uku

No trademark application has popped up on the United States Patent and Trademark Office just yet, and none of the domain names currently resolve to a web site.

As of the time of this writing, Facebook has not officially announced the program, but considering all the internet hints, it looks like the news will be coming very soon.

Talking about this story: The Next Web, TechCrunch, InsideFacebook and AllFacebook

(Image of Facebook Publishing Garage logo via Addie Marino)

Categories
Disputes News WIPO

Model Cindy Crawford files dispute over CindyCrawford.com, domain redirects users to porn site

Cindy Crawford

Model Cindy Crawford who is well known for her mole just above her lip, has filed a complaint (Case Number: D2012-2454) with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over the domain name CindyCrawford.com, a web address that – at the time of this story – redirects users to a hardcore adult site filled with videos of the porn actress by the same name.

Throughout the years, CindyCrawford.com has been home to fairly tame content according to a screenshot history search.  Up until recently, the site was more informational, providing news and content to fans about the American model.

In recent months, it appears the domain’s owner decided to start redirecting users to an adult website containing videos of a pornographic actress whose legal name is Cindy Crawford.

Cindy Crawford

In mid-2000, the adult star was contacted by the mainstream supermodel who disputed the use of her name.  As reported by XBIZ.com, “…Crawford was able to prove that it is — and always has been — her legal name. While representatives for the mainstream Crawford may not like the coincidence, there is nothing they can do about it.”

According to WHOIS records, CindyCrawford.com is registered to a Spain-based company called Producciones Asstalfondo.

To win this dispute, Cindy Crawford must demonstrate that the following have been satisfied:

(1) that the disputed domain name registered by the Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and

(2) that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and

(3) that the disputed domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith

Categories
News Video Games

Activision acquires ‘Command Line Systems’ dot com domain name

Command Line Systems

Chalk this up to unusual domain names that companies register.

According to WHOIS records, Activision Publishing, Inc, now owns CommandLineSystems.com, a name that was first registered back in January 2011.

The identity of the owner was hidden behind Go Daddy’s Domains By Proxy (DBP) service, however, this week the privacy service on the domain name was removed, revealing Activision as the owner.

According to Wikipedia, “a command-line interface (CLI) is a means of interaction with a computer program where the user (or client) issues commands to a program in the form of successive lines of text (command lines).”

It appears the company has plans for the domain, but what exactly, is unknown at this time.

Currently, commandlinesystems.com resolves to a blank web page.

(Image via forums.activision.com)

Categories
Disputes National Arbitration Forum News Video Games

Microsoft disputes XboxFitness.com, files European Community trademark [UPDATED]

Xbox Fitness

Microsoft has filed a complaint (Case Number 1473274) with the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) over the domain names XboxFitness.com and XboxFitness.net.

So, is this domain dispute nothing more than the company trying to protect its intellectual property?  Or, could Microsoft be looking to launch a new service beyond its Kinect Fitness line of products which haven’t received the best reviews over the years?

It appears plans are in the works to launch a new service as Microsoft filed a European Community trademark application earlier last month (trade mark no 011333705) for Xbox Fitness that covers, “Telecommunication services, namely, providing electronic transmission of video over the Internet.”

Throughout the past year, the company has filed a number of complaints with NAF, some of which became new services and others that have yet to materialize.

In May, Microsoft went after the domain XboxMusic.com and won.  Xbox Music was launched on October 16, 2012.  In another case, Microsoft filed a complaint (Case Number 1446970) over XboxSmartGlass.com, and also launched the service in late October.

The domain name dispute proceedings commenced this week.  Microsoft also filed a separate complaint (Case No. 1473913) over the names microsoftapproval.com, xboxsafety.com and xboxaccount.com.

Currently, XboxFitness.com (WHOIS) and XboxFitness.net (WHOIS) redirect visitors to xbf.co, and are owned by a resident of Canada.

Microsoft has a lot of success with its domain disputes, so the newest cases will likely go in their favor.

At the time of this story being published, Microsoft has made no official announcement regarding Xbox Fitness.

UPDATE:. Microsoft has won the dispute for XboxFitness.com and .net.  Both domains have been ordered transferred.

Talking about this story: NowGamer

(Image via Xbox.com)

Categories
News Trademarks Video Games

Square Enix registers ‘All The Bravest’ domain, files game-related trademark

AllTheBravest.com

It would appear that Square Enix is working on something game-related called “All The Bravest”.

This past week, the company not only registered the domain names AllTheBravest.com (WHOIS) and AllTheBravest.net (WHOIS), it also filed a European Community Trademark for the name.

Both domain names were registered through the trademark and domain management company Thomson Brandy on November 29, 2012.

Also on the same day, Square Enix filed a trademark application (trade mark no 011386349).  The goods and services in the filing cover:

Computer game software; video game software; sound recordings in the form of optical discs, magnetic discs, semiconductor ROMs featuring music and/or fictional stories; audio visual recordings in the form of optical discs, magnetic discs, semiconductor ROMs featuring music and/or animated fictional stories; prerecorded compact discs featuring music; prerecorded video discs featuring music and/or animated fictional stories; prerecorded video cassettes featuring music and/or animated fictional stories; decorative magnets; mouse pads; straps for cellular phones; sunglasses; blank memory cards; memory card cases; CD cases; computer keyboards; joysticks; downloadable image files; downloadable wallpapers for computers and/or mobile phones; downloadable screensavers for computers and/or mobile phones; downloadable video recordings; downloadable musical sound recordings; downloadable ring tones for mobile phones; electronic publications in the field of computer games, video games, cartoons and/or general entertainment.

Computer game strategy guidebooks; video game strategy guidebooks; books featuring fictional and/or fantasy stories; graphic art books; song books; musical score books; comic books; magazines featuring video games and/or cartoons; posters; stickers; paper banners; calendars; postcards; stationery; collectors’ cards; trading cards; photographs.

Providing amusement facilities; amusement arcades; providing on-line computer games; providing on-line video games; providing information on computer game strategies and/or video game strategies via computer networks and/or global communication networks; providing information on entertainment in the field of computer games, video games, card games, animated cartoons, comics, novels and/or magazines; providing on-line non-downloadable comics; providing on-line non-downloadable magazines in the field of computer games, video games, cartoons and/or general entertainment.

At this point, it’s unknown what sort of plans Square Enix has for “All The Bravest”.

Aside from the details of trademark application and domain names (neither of which resolve to a web site) not much is known.

Talking about this story: Siliconera, Computerandvideogames.com, Shacknews, We Got This Covered, Anime News Network, GameDynamo, This is Xbox, IGN, GamingBolt, Develop, Joystiq, PSX Extreme, VG247, Nintendo Everything, GameZone, Kotaku, play3.de, gamesblog.it, MeriStation, Nintendo Master, Game Informer, Gematsu, Eurogamer.pt and NeoGAF