Categories
News

Facebook registers domains for something called “FB Origin”

FBOrigin.com Whois record

This week, the social networking giant Facebook registered several domains for something called “FB Origin” ranging from dot-com to dot-biz.

On the same day the company held a media event where it unveiled 60 new apps that you can add to your timeline, Facebook registered fborigin.com, fborigin.netfborigin.org, fborigin.biz, fborigin.info and even fborigin.co.uk.

The domains were registered through the brand protection company MarkMonitor.

I scoured through the list of new apps, looking for something with the name “Origin”, and didn’t find anything.

Though it’s only speculation at this time, with all these new domain registrations, it appears Facebook has plans to launch a new product or service called “Origin” to go along with its other services like Timeline. 

At the time of this story, none of the domains resolve to a web page.

Discussion: Techmeme, @RobinWauters, ZDNet (blog), All Facebook, Inside Facebook, Marketing Land and Ubergizmo

Categories
Disputes News

Defendant in Lanham Act lawsuit turns over dozens of domains to Facebook

Facebook, Inc. v. Cyber2Media, Inc. et al

Back in July, Facebook filed a lawsuit in United States District Court seeking the cancelling of typosquatter domains that infringed on its trademarks, as well as damages and other relief against a number of defendants.

In the case of Facebook, Inc. v. Cyber2Media, Inc. et al, Facebook alleged violations of the Lanham Act, which among other things, prohibits trademark infringement.

One of the defendants identified in the lawsuit (read here), Ryan Johnson of Minnesota, has now transferred nearly 75 domain names to Facebook.

The domain names were transferred to Facebook, Inc. this week. 

Here’s a look at the full list of domain names that Ryan Johnson handed over.

acebookfans.com
acebookfriends.com
advertisingfacebooknow.com
bestfacebookcash.com
bestfacebookemail.com
bestfacebookfans.com
bestfacebookmarketing.com
bestfacebooksearch.com
bestfacebookstock.com
buyfacebookfansonline.com
buyfacebookfanssite.com
buyfbfansnow.com
buyfbfansonline.com
cheapfacebook.com
coloradofacebook.com
facebookbase.com
facebookbff.com
facebookbulletins.com
facebookcashsite.com
facebookcashworld.com
facebookeffects.com
facebookemailsite.com
facebookemailworld.com
facebookenthusiasts.com
facebookfindsite.com
facebookhuntworld.com
facebookmaildirect.com
facebookmailonline.com
facebookmessagesite.com
facebookmoneydirect.com
facebookmoneyworld.com
facebookpublicity.com
facebookresultsnow.com
facebooksearchsite.com
facebooksearchworld.com
facebookseek.com
facebookseekguide.com
facebookstocksite.com
facebookstockworld.com
fbadvertisingresults.com
fbadvertisingresultsnow.com
fbemailsite.com
fbemailworld.com
fbresultstoday.com
fbstockdirect.com
fbstockmarkets.com
fbstockonline.com
fbstocksite.com
fbstocktrader.com
fbstockworld.com
findfbfriends.com
freefbfans.com
freefblikes.com
getfblikesnow.com
greatfacebookgames.com
iowafacebook.com
myfacebookbff.com
newfacebookmarketing.com
statefacebook.com
superfacebookcash.com
superfacebookemail.com
superfacebookstock.com
thefacebookcash.com
thefacebookemail.com
thefacebookmarketing.com
thefacebooksearch.com
thefacebookstock.com
thefbgamecheats.com
thefbstock.com
unionfacebook.com
yourfacebookcash.com
yourfacebookemail.com
yourfacebooksearch.com
yourfacebookstock.com

I’ve reached out to Ryan for comment and will update this story if I hear back.

Categories
News Trademarks Video Games

Disney’s Playdom developing ‘City of Warfare’ game? Trademarks filed

City of Might

According to four trademark filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it appears Disney’s Playdom is developing a new social game called ‘City of Warfare’ to expand upon its City-franchise.

If it’s anything like Playdom’s other games, which includes ‘City of Wonder’, chances are players will build armies in ‘City of Warfare’ and battle other cities. 

Oddly enough, Playdom has developed a game called ‘City of Might’ which has been in closed BETA since March.  Based on the game titles alone, it sounds like ‘City of Might’ and ‘City of Warfare’ are a lot alike.  Playdom even describes City of Might as, “a game where you build a mighty city and defeat your enemies in epic battles.” 

It’s quite possible City of Might is being rebranded as City of Warfare, as no trademark applications are on file for City of Might.

All four trademark applications for City of Warfare (Serial Numbers: 85457270, 85457272, 85457274, and 85457277) were filed on October 26, 2011, by Disney and involve an online virtual community, online social networking services, and entertainment and education services.

The ‘Goods and Services’ are nearly identical to its Gnome Town filings.  I wrote about the Gnome Town trademark applications in late July and days later Playdom officially launched the game to everyone on Facebook.

Here’s a more detailed look at each of the trademark filings:

Serial Number 85457277, Goods and Services
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; audio books; audio recordings; audio and visual recordings; video game software; computer programs and software; consumer electronics and accessories therefor; hand-held units for playing electronic games for use with an external display screen or monitor; eyeglasses and sunglasses and accessories therefor; binoculars; decorative magnets; graduated rulers; computer software, namely, computer game software; electronic games and game software that may be downloaded via global computer networks and electronic communication networks for use in connection with computers, mobile computers, media players, cellular phones, wireless devices and portable and handheld digital electronic devices

Serial Number 85457274, Goods and Services
IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment and education services; providing online computer games, online enhancements for computer games, and providing online games; providing information relating to computer games and game enhancements via global computer networks and electronic communication networks for use in connection with computers, mobile computers, media players, cellular phones, wireless devices and portable and handheld digital electronic devices; providing an online entertainment information service featuring information regarding computer games, enhancements for computer games, online games, and game applications via global computer networks and electronic communication networks for use in connection with computers, mobile computers, media players, cellular phones, wireless devices and portable and handheld digital electronic devices; providing temporary use of non-downloadable computer games; providing temporary use of non-downloadable software for playing computer games; providing temporary use of non-downloadable software to enable playing and otherwise providing computer games

Serial Number 85457272, Goods and Services
IC 045. US 100 101. G & S: Online social networking services

Serial Number 85457270, Goods and Services
IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Computer services, namely, creating an online virtual community for registered users to participate in and hold competitions, showcase their skills, improve their talent, participate in incentive award programs, get feedback from their peers, form virtual communities, trade, buy and sell virtual goods, conduct virtual tours, facilitate interaction among users, rank users, engage in social networking, and participate in on-line discussion boards; providing temporary use of non-downloadable software to enable viewing, previewing, sharing, manipulating, and creating blogs regarding computer games via global computer networks and electronic communication networks for use in connection with computers, mobile computers, media players, cellular phones, wireless devices and portable and handheld digital electronic devices; providing temporary use of non-downloadable software to enable viewing, previewing, sharing, manipulating, enhancements for computer games, online games, and game applications and information relating to computer games and game enhancements via global computer networks and electronic communication networks for use in connection with computers, mobile computers, media players, cellular phones, wireless devices and portable and handheld digital electronic devices

Discussion: Games.com News (blog) and Inside Social Games

Categories
News

Facebook registers Notifier and SSL domains for new notification program?

Facebook Notifier

This week Facebook registered several notifier and SSL domain names like FacebookNotifier.com and Facebook-SSL.net.

Could the notifier domains be a hint that Facebook is working on developing a new notification application that can run on different platforms? 

There are a number of Facebook notification services you can already install and run that alert you when interesting activity happens on Facebook, but even Facebook’s Desktop notification app (app home page pictured above) has been classified as nothing more than an experimental app for years. 

While the Facebook app has over 40,000 monthly active users, according to reviews by Facebook users, its own notification app needs work.  For example, it isn’t supported on Windows 7.

The full list of names registered by Facebook on October 10 include: Facebook-SSL.net, Facebook-SSL.org, FacebookNotifier.com, FacebookNotifier.org, NotifierFacebook.com, NotifierFacebook.net, and NotifierFacebook.org.

Here’s a look at the WHOIS record for FacebookNotifier.com.

Registrant:
        Domain Administrator
        Facebook, Inc.
        1601 S. California Ave
         Palo Alto CA 94304
        US

    Domain Name: facebooknotifier.com

        Registrar Name: Markmonitor.com
        Registrar Whois: whois.markmonitor.com

    Administrative Contact:
        Domain Administrator
        Facebook, Inc.
        1601 S. California Ave
         Palo Alto CA 94304
        US
         
    Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
        Domain Administrator
        Facebook, Inc.
        1601 S. California Ave
         Palo Alto CA 94304
        US

    Created on…………..: 2011-10-10.
    Expires on…………..: 2013-10-10.
    Record last updated on..: 2011-10-10.

Update 1, Oct. 20, 2011 3:14am EST:  Facebook registered more domains, including: facebook-notification.org, facebooknotification.org, notification-facebook.org, and notificationfacebook.org.

Update 2, Oct. 21, 2011 3:12am EST: More domain names registered:  Facebook-notification.net, facebooknotification.net, notification-facebook.com, notification-facebook.net, notificationfacebook.com, and notificationfacebook.net.

Discussion: All Facebook

Categories
News

Facebook forming a political action committee? Registers fbpac.org, fbpac.us

Zuckerberg meets President Obama

Is Facebook officially forming a political action committee (PAC) in order to influence federal elections?  

It looks like Facebook may be taking the first steps ahead of the 2012 elections, as the company has registered the domain names fbpac.org and fbpac.us.

Other software giants have formed PACs.  In 2006, Google formed its own political action committee, while Microsoft created its PAC in 1998.

While it’s unknown whether Facebook has already filed the necessary federal paperwork to set up a political action committee, considering Facebook’s size and influence, it only makes sense that Facebook eventually forms a PAC. 

It’s also very possible, these domain names could be nothing more than part of the company’s intellectual property strategy.  Facebook owns hundreds, a large pecentage of which it doesn’t use.

Here’s a look at the Whois record for fbpac.org.

Domain Name:FBPAC.ORG
Created On:24-Sep-2011 16:57:52 UTC
Last Updated On:24-Sep-2011 16:57:53 UTC
Expiration Date:24-Sep-2013 16:57:52 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:MarkMonitor Inc. (R37-LROR)
Registrant ID:mmr-92157
Registrant Name:Domain Administrator
Registrant Organization:Facebook, Inc.
Registrant Street1:1601 S. California Ave
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Palo Alto
Registrant State/Province:CA
Registrant Postal Code:94304
Registrant Country:US

Discussion: Media BistroVentureBeat and All Facebook

(Photo of Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg talking before a private meeting via The White House’s Photostream)