Tag: MarkMonitor

Why did Airbnb register the domain name WhoisAirbnb.com?

Post author By J.B.
Post date December 29, 2011

When a company that doesn’t own many domains goes out and registers some odd names, it’s usually safe to say it’s up to something.

That’s what Airbnb did. The web service that connects people who have space to spare with those who are looking for a place to stay, went out and registered two new domain names this week: WhoisAirbnb.com and Who-is-Airbnb.com.

Airbnb has had its share of controversy this year, after one of its customers’ homes was ransacked.

Despite the PR crisis that followed, Airbnb has managed to bounce back and since its launch in 2008, has booked more than 2 million nights. Some speculate the company will file for an initial public offering next year.

Just what will WhoisAirbnb.com be used for?

Will it be a new service? Will the company launch a separate site to help tell its story and build more trust? We’ll keep an eye out.

Today, the domain WhoisAirbnb.com forwards to the company’s website.

Both domain names were registered with the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor on December 27.

Here’s a look at the Whois record (no pun intended) for WhoisAirbnb.com.

Tags Airbnb, Airbnb domains, MarkMonitor, Who is Airbnb

News

Googlighting.com: Is Google’s Android-controlled light bulb closer to market?

Post author By J.B.
Post date December 18, 2011
2 Comments on Googlighting.com: Is Google’s Android-controlled light bulb closer to market?

Last May, Google unveiled its Android-controlled LED light bulb at its I/O developer conference.

The light bulb, which was developed with Lighting Science Group, connects to the Android operating system using a new wireless protocol. Google originally said the light bulb would start selling before the end of the year, but with the New Year only a couple weeks away, it looks it may be a little bit longer before the light bulb shows up on store shelves.

As part of its marketing activities, it appears Google may launch a website on Googlighting.com, a domain name it apparently registered on December 16 (WHOIS). Googlighting.net was also registered on the same day.

Both names were registered through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, which Google regularly uses to acquire domain names. Currently, the owner of each domain is hidden behind MarkMonitor’s WHOIS privacy service ‘DNStinations’, but you can bet your money that Google is the registrant, considering MarkMonitor’s client list includes over half of the Fortune 100 companies.

As of today, Googlighting.com doesn’t resolve to a web page.

[Update 1 on February 21, 2012: Turns out Google wasn’t behind the domain registrations, Microsoft was. According to BGR, “Microsoft has launched an all-out assault on Google and its cloud-based Google Apps product.”]

Discussion: Marketing Land

Tags android light bulb, android lighting, DNStinations, Google LED LIght Bulb, Google Light Bulb, Google Lighting, Googlighting, light bulb, Lighting Science Group, MarkMonitor

News

Google registers ‘Value of the Web’

Post author By J.B.
Post date December 16, 2011

It looks like Google is getting ready to market another one of its products or services.

On December 14, the search engine giant registered the domain name valueoftheweb.com through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor. Google also picked up the dot-net and dot-org.

As with many of its thousands of names, they may end up being nothing more than part of the company’s defensive domain strategy.

Recently though, new registrations have hinted at something more.

In late November Google registered a number of Google Gives Back domains, then launched its Google Gives Back 2011 website this week. It also purchased the domain Schemer.com in early November, which launched online earlier this month and is currently in invite-only beta period.

Last week, the search company accidentally revealed the acquisition of RightsFlow through domain registrations. As first reported here, news of the registrations appeared online hours before an official announcement was made.

On the same day Google registered valueofthweb.com, it also registered betternet.org and its typo beternet.org.

Discussion: Search Engine Land

Tags Betternet, google, Google defensive domains, Google Domains, Google Value of the Web, MarkMonitor, Value of the Web

News Trademarks Video Games

Zynga goes on record about new iOS game by filing Forestville trademark

Post author By J.B.
Post date December 9, 2011
2 Comments on Zynga goes on record about new iOS game by filing Forestville trademark

I first broke the news last week about Zynga developing a new “Ville” game after several Forestville domains were privately registered through MarkMonitor, an internet brand protection company Zynga regularly uses.

While I had nothing more to work on than new domain registrations, an anonymous reader sent me a tip that a Facebook page was online, further solidifying my belief that a game was in the works and near launch day.

Shortly after my story ran, accompanied by screen shots and a web address, the page was taken offline.

Zynga, even with all the proof, made no announcement despite Games.com, AllFacebook, and other sites covering my story, so there was still some lingering doubt about the game.

Though Zynga does not officially comment on speculation or rumor, this week it has officially gone on record indirectly, by filing a trademark application (Serial Number: 85487695) for “Forestville” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Here’s a look at the trademark filing.

Expect to see a press release from the social gaming giant on “Forestville” soon.

Tags brand protection, Castleville, dnstination, DNStinations, Facebook forestville, facebook games, Forestville, Forestville Central School District, Forestville Facebook, Forestville trademark, Forestville with Friends, Forestville Zynga, Forestville.com, MarkMonitor, social gaming, zynga, Zynga domains, Zynga forestville