Tag: MarkMonitor

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News

Amazon registers the domain name KindleCompass.com [UPDATED]

Kindle Compass

For future projects or just as part of its intellectual property strategy to defend its various brands, Amazon registers new domain names all the time.

So, it’s anyones guess as to what’s behind each purchase.

On October 6, Amazon registered the domain name KindleCompass.com through MarkMonitor. 

The Kindle Fire doesn’t appear to come with a built-in digital compass like the iPad, so will the Kindle Compass be a digital compass add-on?

Here’s a look at the WHOIS information.

Registrant:
        Hostmaster, Amazon Legal Dept.
        Amazon Technologies, Inc.
        P.O. Box 8102
         Reno NV 89507
        US
        
    Domain Name: kindlecompass.com

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

    Administrative Contact:
        Hostmaster, Amazon Legal Dept.
        Amazon Technologies, Inc.
        P.O. Box 8102
         Reno NV 89507
        US
         
    Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
        Hostmaster, Amazon Legal Dept.
        Amazon Technologies, Inc.
        P.O. Box 8102
         Reno NV 89507
        US

    Created on…………..: 2011-10-06.
    Expires on…………..: 2012-10-06.
    Record last updated on..: 2011-10-06.

Care to take a guess as to what the “Kindle Compass” is or will be?

[Updated January 5, 2012:. Turns out the Kindle Compass is a new publication by Amazon that has cause a bit of controversy.  According to All Things D, “Amazon has issued an apology tonight after upsetting Kindle owners, who learned this morning that they were selected to receive a publication they didn’t sign up for — and could be charged for in the future. The problems kicked off this morning when Amazon started sending emails to select Kindle owners, alerting them to a free trial of “The Kindle Compass.”]

Discussion:  Huffington Post

Categories
News Technology

Amazon goes on a massive buying spree, buys over 500 Kindle Fire & Silk domains

Kindle Fire

The announcement of the all-new Kindle Fire and Silk browser set to be released on November 15, 2011, has ignited a massive domain name buying spree by Amazon. 

On the very same day Amazon unveiled the Kindle Fire, the company registered well over 500 domain names related to the Kindle Fire and Silk browser products, through the brand protection company MarkMonitor.

The names range from 3gKindleFire.com to KindleFireClouddrive.com, and SilkSmartphones.com to SilkHTML5.com. 

While many of the registrations are certainly defensive in nature, some of the registrations may hint at future plans for Amazon’s newest products.

Because the list of registrations is so long, you can view the registrations here.

Discussion: The Next Web, @RobinWauters, Business Insider, Geeky Gadgets, TechFlash, Media Bistro, CNET News, CNET Australia, SlashGear, TechRadar and Digital Trends

Categories
News

Why did Amazon register the domain name AmazonCamperForce.com?

Amazon Camper Force

The big story for Amazon is that the company is holding a press conference on Wednesday, September 28th in New York City and the rumor is that Amazon will be launching its tablet at the event.

Not that this has anything to do with the upcoming press conference, but Amazon has made a strange domain purchase this week: AmazonCamperForce.com.

The domain name was purchased by Amazon’s Legal Department on September 22, 2011 through MarkMonitor.

This is the first time the web address has ever been registered and Amazon didn’t bother registering the .net or .org version of the name.

Care to take a guess as to what the domain name stands for?

Categories
News

Microsoft privately registers Microsoft Academic Platform domain names

Windows 8

Shortly after unveiling Windows 8 features in mid-September at the BUILD developer conference, Microsoft has privately registered domain names related to ‘Microsoft Academic Platform’ for a yet-to-be-released product.

On September 20, 2011, the company registered four web addresses including: MicrosoftAcademicPlatform.com, MicrosoftAcademicPlatform.net, MsAcademicPlatform.com and MsAcademicPlatform.net.

In early September, I wrote about how Microsoft privately registered several Advertising on Windows 8 domain names, several days before the company made an announcement that it was planning an ad platform for Windows 8 apps.

While Microsoft has an Academic Search and other academic type services and products, one can only imagine that Microsoft has separate plans to launch a new Microsoft Academic Platform.

Here’s a look at the Whois record for MicrosoftAcademicPlatform.com.  Although the owner’s name is hidden, it’s registered to DNstination Inc., the Whois privacy service provided by brand protection company MarkMonitor, where its own microsoft.com is registered.

Registrant:
        Domain Administrator
        DNStination Inc.
        303 Second Street  Suite 800N
         San Francisco CA 94107
        US

    Domain Name: microsoftacademicplatform.com

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

    Administrative Contact:
        Domain Administrator
        DNStination Inc.
        303 Second Street  Suite 800N
         San Francisco CA 94107
        US

Categories
News Trademarks

Google files ‘Spot’ trademark, registers domains for programming [UPDATED]

Google

Updated November 30, 2011 at 5:39am EST:  Google has now apparently acquired the domain name GoogleSpot.com through MarkMonitor.  According to WHOIS records, the name switched hands on November 28.  While MarkMonitor is listed as the registrant, Google regularly uses the brand protection service to secure domains.

**

Looks like Google may have some sort of plan for its own programming language called ‘Spot’.

The search engine giant has filed a trademark application for ‘Spot’ according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

The filing (Serial Number: 85403946) took place on August 22, 2011 and covers computer programs and downloadable computer programs that implement an object-oriented computer programming language.

At the same time Google was filing the trademark, it registered several domain names.

The registrations include domains such as spotlang.com, spotlanguage.net, spot-lang.com, and spot-lang.net.

Registrant:
        DNS Admin
        Google Inc.
        1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
         Mountain View CA 94043
        US

         Registrar Name: Markmonitor.com
        Registrar Whois: whois.markmonitor.com
        Registrar Homepage: http://www. markmonitor.com

    Created on…………..: 2011-08-22.
    Expires on…………..: 2013-08-22.
    Record last updated on..: 2011-08-23.

Discussion: Engadget, Y Combinator, 9to5Google and Meneame