Earlier this year, social gaming giant Zynga filed a trademark application on the word “Patentville” with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). The European trademark covered, among other things, leather and imitations of leather and footwear.
Back in April, I wrote about Zynga not owning the matching domain name: patentville.com.
A few months later, that’s still the case. However, it may not be for long.
The domain was owned by The Law Office of Michael P. Eddy, who also happens to be the owner of patent.org.
Shortly after my first story ran, a website appeared on Patentville.com.
Now, as of June 30, 2011, the domain name has expired with its registrar at Fabulous and is now listed for sale at NameJet, the aftermarket auction company who lists exclusive inventory of expired and deleted domains from top domain name registrars including Fabulous.
Although you can expect bidders, it’s likely the domain name (which is in pre-release) will be renewed by Michael Eddy before the backorder deadline.
Zynga may no longer have plans for Patentville. But it wouldn’t be the first time the company has filed a trademark or registered a domain name with nothing materializing other than some internet buzz.
As of today, the company has yet to file a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
You can view a certified copy of the European trademark application form by Zynga here.
