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News Video Games

Ubisoft registers Ubiloud.com domain

Ubisoft

Ubi-this.  And Ubi-that.  Video game publisher Ubisoft has registered a new domain name this week: Ubiloud.com.

According to Whois records, Ubisoft Entertainment purchased the name on March 29, 2012.

It’s unknown what the future will bring for Ubiloud.  As of right now, the domain name does not resolve to a web page.

In a recent interview with Pocket-lint, Chris Early, head of digital at Ubisoft, said the company will launch a cloud-based storage system that will allow players to save game data across multiple devices such as an iPhone and iPad.

Could Ubiloud be the name of the new cloud-based storage service?

That’s probably a stretch.  But with Ubicloud.com already owned by someone else, anything is possible, including the name being nothing more than a defensive purchase to prevent others from owning the name.

Categories
News Video Games

Microsoft Corporation registers XboxFL.com, XboxFL.net domain names

Xbox FL

Early this month, I wrote about Microsoft secretly acquiring the domain names Halo5.com and Halo9.com.

Now, the company has made two more interesting domain purchases this week.  On March 28, 2012, Microsoft Corporation registered XboxFL.com (Whois) and XboxFL.net (Whois).

So, what on earth is “Xbox FL”?

Your guess is as good as mine.

At the time of this story, both domain names redirect visitors to Bing.

[Updated March 31, 2012 10:57am EST:. Microsoft added another domain to the list.  The company registered registered XboxFL.cz on March 30.  .cz isthe country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the Czech Republic.]

Discussion: Gamespot, Joystiq, ComputerAndVideoGames.com, Neowin.net, Game Rant, ITProPortal, GameRevolution, Gaming Examiner, This is Xbox, Gaming Bolt, The Tech Report, LLC and Geeky gadgets

Categories
Disputes National Arbitration Forum News

Google files complaint over hundreds of domains with “Google” in the name

Googleplex

Googleplex

Google Inc. has filed one complaint (Case No. 1434643) with the National Arbitration Forum that encompasses well over 700 domains with the word “Google” in the name like GoogleBills.com and GoogleSony.com.

Google filed the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP) complaint this week against one person: Chris Gillespie.

According to UDRP rules, if more than one domain name held by the same Respondent is in dispute, all may be included in one complaint. Rule 3(b)(vi).

In order for the National Arbitration Forum panel reviewing the case to issue a decision in Google’s favor, the panel will determine if the disputed domains meet the following three elements required under the ICANN policy, which are:

(1) the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which the complainant has rights
(2) the owner has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name and;
(3) the domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith. 

The Google domains being disputed are all over the board and many use Go Daddy’s CashParking, a service that lets domain owners earn money on parked domains.

Here’s a sample of the names:

google10g.com, googlejcp.com, google3dblueray.com, googlejerry.com, google3dtv.info, googlejesuschrist.com, google49ers.com, googlejinan.com, google4glte.com, googlejnj.com, google5hourenergy.com, googlejohnsonandjohnson.com, google6g.com, googlejpmorgan.com, google7g.com, googlejpmorganchase.com, google8g.com, googlejrs.com, google9g.com, googlejuliet.com, googleabidjan.com, googlejxholdings.com, googleadam.com, googlekarachi.com, googleaddthis.com, googlekatharinemcphee.com, googleadobe.com, googlekatowice.com, googleaegon.com, googlekellyclarkson.com, googleaeon.com, googlekfc.com, googleaflac.com, googlekindle.com, googleagriculturalbankofchina.com, googlekindlefire.com, googleaig.com, googlekinsha.com, googleala.com, googlealexandria.com, googlekmart.com, googlealger.com, googleknicks.com, googlealipay.com, googlekobe.com, googleallah.com, googlekoch.com, googleallianz.com, googlekochindustries.com, googleallrecipes.com, googlekohls.com, googleallstate.com, googlekoln.com, googleamericanexpress.com, googlekpcb.com, googleamericaninternationalgroup.com, googlekpcb.info, googleamerisourcebergen.com, googlekpmg.com, googleamex.com, googlekpmg.info, googleaminoacids.com, googlekroger.com, googleangels.com, googlekuwait.com, googleangieslist.com, googlekuwaitpetroleum.com, googleappleinc.com, googlekuwaitpetroleumcorporation.com, googleappleipad.com, googlekyle.com, googleappletv.com, googlelaclippers.com, googleaquarius.com, googlelahore.com, googlearcelormittal.com, googlelakers.com, googlearcherdaniels.com, googlelalakers.com, googlearcherdanielsmidland.com, googlelarealestate.com, googlearies.com, googleleatherpride.com, googleassicurazioni.com, googleleo.com, googleassicurazionigenerali.com, googlelevis.com, googleathina.com, googleliberal.com, googleatkearney.com, googlelibra.com, googleatt.com, googlelima.com, googleattphones.com, googlelimbaugh.com, googleavengers.com, googlelinkedin.com, googleaviva.com, googlelions.com, googleaxa.com, googleliveinternet.com, googlebabyclothes.com, googlelivejournal.com, googlebabyfood.com, googlelloyds.com, googlebabylon.com, googlelloydsbankinggroup.com, googlebabynames.com, googlelloydsoflondon.com, googlebadgers.com, googlelonghorns.com, googlebadoo.com, googlelonnie.com, googlebaghdad.com, googlelowes.com, googleballeys.com, googlelsu.com, googleballys.com, googlelsutigers.com, googlebama.com, googlelte.com, googlebangalore.com, googlelukoil.com, googlebangdung.com, googlelunch.com, googlebangkok.com, googlemacys.com, googlebankofamerica.com, googlemanila.com, googlebankofchina.com, googlemanning.com, googlebarack.com, googlebarackobama.net, googlebarbershops.com, googlebarclays.com, googlebarclaysbank.com, googlemaputo.com, googlebart.com, googlemarathon.com, googlebasf.com, googlemarathonoil.com, googlebatman.com, googlemarchmadness.com, googlebaylor.com, googlemarriott.com, googlebc.com, googlemartin.com, googlebcg.com, googlemavericks.com, googlebcs.com, googlemavs.com, googlebcsprojections.com, googlemcdonalds.com, googlebcsrankings.com, googlemckesson.com, googlebdo.com, googlemckessoncorporation.com, googlebe6.com, googlemedco.com, googlebears.com, googlemedcohealthsolutions.com, googlebelohorizonte.com, googlemedellin.com, googlebengals.com, googlemelbourne.com, googleberkshirehathaway.com, googlemetlife.com, googlebestdroidapps.com, googlemetroag.com, googlebestiapps.com, googlemets.com, googlebestnotebooks.com, googlemexicocity.com, googlebestonlinestores.com, googlemiamiheat.com, googlebestsellers.com, googlemichaelkors.com, googlebestvideogames.com, googlemitsubishi.com, googlebestwestern.com, googlemitsubishicorporation.com, googlebhp.com, googlemitt.com, googlebhpbilliton.com, googlemittromneysdog.com, googlebills.com, googlemoneyorders.com

The full list of domains identified in the complaint can be seen here.

Discussion: Marketing Land and NamePros

Categories
News

AOL to launch website about men’s lifestyles on Mandatory.com [UPDATED]

AOL's Mandatory.com

AOL is getting ready to add yet another website called “Mandatory” to its growing network of online publications.

On March 14, 2012, AOL Inc. submitted a trademark application (Serial Number: 85569293) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Mandatory” for a website featuring information on men’s lifestyles.

AOL even got the dot-com domain name to go with the website: Mandatory.com.

According to Whois records, AOL Inc. became the registered owner of Mandatory.com earlier this month, which at the time of this story does not resolve to a web page.

And Mandatory.com wasn’t the only related domain AOL picked up.  Earlier this week, the company acquired several typos of mandatory.com like madatory.com and manatory.com.

Here’s a look at the full list of typos:

mamdatory.com
manatory.com
mandaory.com
mandaotry.com
mandatoru.com
mandatoryg.com
mandatoryh.com
mandatorys.com
mandatoryy.com
mandatoty.com
mandatoy.com
mandatoyr.com
mandatroy.com
mandetory.com
mandtaory.com
namdatory.com

As of today, AOL has not officially announced “Mandatory”, but with all these moves we can expect to see something soon.

[Update 1 on March 29, 2012 4:09 AM EST:. AOL has unveiled Mandatory.  See screenshot below.]

mandatory

Categories
News Technology

Research in Motion (RIM) acquires BlackBerrySpin.com domain name

BlackBerry Spin

BlackBerry Spin

It looks like Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) has privately registered the domain name BlackBerrySpin.com after it recently expired.

On March 25, 2012, the domain name BlackBerrySpin.com (Whois) was registered through the brand protection company MarkMonitor, where other web properties that RIM owns like BlackBerryTablet.com (Whois) are managed.

As with any domain registration, it may be nothing more than a defensive measure to protect RIM’s intellectual property.  In fact, it may just be a reference to the BlackBerry PIN — the personal identification number assigned to each device.

RIM is also close to launching a new BlackBerry. 

According to Bloomberg, “Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) plans to give software developers prototypes for its new BlackBerry smartphone platform in early May, signaling RIM is a step closer to debuting a handset it’s betting on to lift sales.”

At the time of this story, the domain does not resolve to a web page nor has RIM announced anything about a “BlackBerry Spin” product.

[Updated 4:40pm Est:. It appears RIM acquired other domain names that had expired and were previously owned by the same registrant — LawleyCorp out of Canada.  RIM also got its hands on BlackBerryBytes.com (Whois) and  BlackBerryWhine.com (Whois).]

Discussion: Geeky Gadgets and N4BB

(Image of BlackBerry World Keynote via BlackBerry.com)