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Disputes National Arbitration Forum News

MGM Resorts going after typo domains following reversal of online poker policy

Mandalay Bay

According to reports, Nevada may become the first state in the U.S. to offer online gambling, this, following the Department of Justice’s policy reversal on the Wire Act.

Now MGM Resorts International, the Nevada based corporation that owns and operates over a dozen gaming properties in Nevada, has apparently filed a complaint (case number: 1422265) over the typo domains belaggio.com (correct spelling bellagio) and mandalabay.com (missing a ‘y’).

The case, which commenced today, was filed with the National Arbitration Forum.

According to WHOIS records for belaggio.com and mandalabay.com, both domains are owned by Modern Empire Internet Ltd, a Hong Kong based company that owns over 3,000 domains. 

The names are currently parked with Above.com, an internet company that offers parking services for domainers who want to maximize their parking revenues.

Modern Empire Internet Ltd has been the respondent in several domain disputes in the past, including cases that involved popular typos like wlmart.com and theknott.com, both of which it was ordered to transfer to the complainants.

Because the National Arbitration Forum doesn’t publicly identify complainants on its website until a decision has been issued by a panel, the official complainant isn’t immediately known.

But it’s safe to say MGM Resorts International is the complainant, as they own both mandalaybay.com and bellagio.com.

(Image of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino via MandalayBay.com)

Categories
News

Linkdin.com cyber squatter throws away $22K, domain now belongs to LinkedIn

Linkdin.com WHOIS

Back in December, LinkedIn filed a complaint (Case No. 1417534) with the National Arbitration Forum over the typo domain LinkdIn.com (missing an ‘e’). 

The web address redirected consumers to an online scam that asked a handful of questions and attempted to gather personal information by promising free gifts like a $1,000 Walmart gift card, to anyone who finished filling out the survey.

The owner learned an expensive lesson after they allegedly paid $22,000 to the buy the domain at SnapNames in July 2010.

Now, the domain name belongs to LinkedIn (WHOIS).

LinkedIn withdrew the domain dispute in late December.  It appears the respondent in the case agreed to turn over the name without waiting for a panel to order the name transferred.

It’s unknown whether LinkedIn paid any amount of money to expedite the transfer of the domain, but it’s unlikely, considering LinkedIn was pretty much guaranteed a win.

Categories
News Video Games

Top 10 Stories of 2011: #2 Activision battles for ModernWarfare3.com domain

Modern Warfare 3

Activision won rights to the domain ModernWarfare3.com in early September, bringing a saga that dragged on for months to a close.

My coverage of the whole affair from beginning to end drew thousands of thousands of page views, along with mentions from nearly every major video gaming news site and blog.

It was Activision’s decision to file a domain dispute over ModernWarfare3.com that earned the number two spot in the Top 10 stories of 2011.

The coverage began in January 2011, when I wrote about Activision missing out on several Modern Warfare domain names, including ModernWarfare3.com. 

In May, information and dates were leaked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to Kotaku. 

Shortly after the online buzz started, the owner of ModernWarfare3.com put up a website and literally gained thousands of fans on Facebook overnight.  Then the website abruptly went offline for days, in what appeared to be a response by the owner to Activision’s lawyers. 

When the site came back online however, the same owner launched a revamped website that lashed out at Activision, in a series of statements and videos, throwing support instead to Call of Duty’s biggest competitor – Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 3.

Still, at this point, no one else was covering it.

It was my story on ModernWarfare3.com re-directing to EA’s Battlefield 3 website in July that started drawing attention by sites like Kotaku.  The move to forward the domain proved embarrassing for Activision.

What followed were a series of breaking stories that continued to draw massive traffic.

In mid July, Activision officially filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum that I got my hands on. 

After the complaint was filed, Go Daddy removed the privacy service on the domain, revealing the identity of the owner.

In September, Activision triumphed and the domain was ordered transferred.

By October, the domain resolved to CallofDuty.com.

If Activision decides to release a Modern Warfare 4, it may want to handle things a little differently.  As of today, ModernWarfare4.com doesn’t belong to Activision.

Categories
News Technology Trademarks

Samsung files trademark for ‘Samsung Core’ smart phones and tablets

Samsung Core

According to internet reports, Samsung may launch the Galaxy S III at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.  As pointed out by The Next Web, the device is expected to feature new quad-core processing technology and reportedly have 3D technology.

It addition to the Galaxy S III, it appears Samsung may unveil a new line of devices in 2012 featuring quad-core processors. 

On December 27, 2011, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd filed a trademark application (Serial Number: 85504384) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the ‘Samsung Core’. 

The goods and services covered in the trademark application cover:  mobile phones, smartphones and tablet computers.

At the time of this story running, Samsung has yet to announce the Samsung Core.

Discussion: Ubergizmo, Geeky Gadgets, Mobot.net, AndroidAppTests, Engadget en español, Tecnología 21 and Gizmodo ES

(Image of Galaxy Tab via Samsung.com)

Categories
News

Domain bloggers get opportunity to share profits with Domaining.com aggregator

Domaining.com

Popular domain news aggregator Domaining.com is planning to dip into its profits generated by the sales of domains listed in the January 9th CAX.com sales newsletter.

In mid-December, Francois Carrillo the owner of Domaining.com, told several domain bloggers listed with the news site, that they would receive part of the profit.

“As the year is ending I would like to thank our bloggers for having shared their knowledge, experience, enthusiasm… all this past year, but also give you the opportunity to do the same,” wrote Carrillo via e-mail.

The upcoming sale is being heavily promoted by domain bloggers, and as can be expected with all the attention, should attract a good mix of sellers and buyers.

Ron Jackson of DNJournal wrote earlier this week, “The way it works is that anyone who wants to put a name up for sale in the event (only one name per person), can submit it for consideration here. Carrillo plans to put the 100 best submissions in a sales newsletter that will go out Monday, January 9, 2012.”