Categories
News Technology Trademarks

Samsung files trademarks for ‘Samsung Joy’ and ‘Samsung Fresh’ smart phones

Samsung Electronics

With the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) now in the rear-view mirror, it’s the Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona in February where Samsung is expected to unveil its newest smart phones.

The company’s latest trademarks may offer some clues as to the names of the devices.

On January 13, 2012, Samsung filed two separate trademarks for the Samsung Joy (Serial Number: 85515853) and Samsung Fresh (Serial Number: 85515850) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The goods and services in both filings cover  telephones; smart phones; mobile phones; computer software for mobile phones, portable media players and handheld computers.

Samsung has yet to officially announce the Samsung Joy or Samsung Fresh

The Mobile World Congress is just over a month away.

Discussion: Phandroid, MobileSyrupElectronista, Geeky gadgets, phoneArena and Ubergizmo

(Photo of Samsung announcing the GALAXY Note via Samsung.com)

Categories
Disputes News WIPO

UPDATED: Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder wants eddievedder.com

Eddie Vedder

Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam, wants the web address eddievedder.com.

A complaint (WIPO Case Number: D2012-0035) was filed this week with the World Intellectual Property Organization over the domain name.

What’s interesting about this case is that according to WHOIS records, Pearl Jam owned the domain name back in the mid-2000s up through late 2010, when the name switched over to Whois privacy.

EV Touring, Inc., which also owns the trademark on Eddie Vedder, is the complainant in the domain dispute. 

At the time of this posting, the domain does not resolve to a web page.

A user who goes by the name hobeyb on the website Aftermarket, an online marketplace for domains, has the web address listed for sale for $18,400.

While this type of filing might seem like an open-and-shut case in favor of the complainant, it doesn’t always end up that way.  In September, Lady Gaga lost her dispute over LadyGaga.org.

Given the circumstances of the Eddie Vedder trademark and that the current domain owner is apparently trying to benefit from the sale of the name, in a few short weeks, this name could be in the possession of the Pearl Jam lead singer. 

Stay tuned here for updates on how it all goes.  I will update this post when a decision is issued by the WIPO Panel.

[Update 1 on January 19, 2012:.  The case was terminated before a ruling was issued.  According to the Whois records, the domain was handed over to EV Touring, Inc.]

Discussion: Pearl Jam – Ten Club Community, antiMusic.comAudio Ink Radio and Red Mosquito

(Image of Eddie Vedder in Calgary, Canada via PearlJam.com)

Categories
News Video Games

Sequel may be closer as Activision secretly acquires BlackOps2.com domain

Black Ops 2

A sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops, one of the best-selling games of all-time, may seem more likely as it appears Activision has secretly acquired the domain name blackops2.com.

First registered in May 2010 shortly after Black Ops was announced, the domain remained under Whois privacy up until this week using Go Daddy’s Domains by Proxy service.

Now, the domain blackops2.com (Whois) has switched from Domains by Proxy to the privacy service provided by internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, who caters to over half the Fortune 100, of which Activision is a client.

In August, I reported that Activision went through MarkMonitor to buy up a slew of Black Ops domains, all the way up to BlackOps6.com. 

Missing from the list was blackops2.com. 

A deal has now apparently been struck.

Treyarch, the development studio behind Call of Duty: Black Ops, hasn’t officially gone on record to say it is creating a sequel.  But with all these domain acquisitions, signs point to a Black Ops 2 being a very strong possibility in 2012.

If a cash amount was paid, the sale price of the domain will likely remain unknown, as the previous owner’s identity and contact information were hidden through Go Daddy’s privacy service.

As of today, BlackOps2.com does not resolve a web page.

[Update 1 on February 17, 2012: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been outed by Amazon reports GameSpy.]

Discussion: Joystiq, Game Informer, IGN, N4G, Side Mission, PC Gamer Magazine, Cinema Blend, Forbes, Shacknews, This Is Xbox, VG247, Xbox 360 Achievements, Onlinewelten, elotrolado.net, Digital Trends, MMOMFG, RipTen, Just Push Start, Gameranx, Yahoo! News, GameDynamo, GamersHell.com, JVN.com, RevogamersWe Got This Covered, Product Reviews4Gamer.netCo-Optimus, Connected Consoles, Eurogamer.se, iNSIDE, Power Unlimited, games.co.il, GamingSackGamefly and GamesRadar

Categories
News Trademarks

Warner Bros. to launch photo sharing social network called Out My Window

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

Categories
Disputes National Arbitration Forum News

Google wins dispute over YouTube typo domains, names ordered transferred

YouTube Scam Survey site

In a no-brainer, a single-member Panel with the National Arbitration Forum has ordered several YouTube typo domain names be transferred to Google.

The domain names disputed in the case were: youtbe.com, youtub.com, youtue.com, youube.com, and yutube.com.

The respondent, who filed no response in the proceeding, had been using the names to send unsuspecting users to a survey scam that asked a series of questions and attempted to gather personal information by promising free gifts like Best Buy gift cards.

Google filed the complaint (Case No. 1416796) at the end of November.

Judge Harold Kalina (Ret.), Panelist, found that all three elements required under the ICANN Policy to transfer the domains were satisfied.

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

Full details of the ruling, which was issued on January 5, have been posted online.

Discussion: The Next Web, Marketing Land, Index, The Verge, Afterdawn.com and mediabistro