Tag: twitter

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Disputes News Technology WIPO

Twitter files dispute over Twitter.org, domain being used for scam surveys

Twitter.org

Twitter has filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over the domain name Twitter.org.  Today, people who type Twitter.org into their internet browser are sent to a web page that looks confusingly similar to the popular microblogging site.  A landing page appears that tries to lure people into taking a scam survey.

WIPO Case Number D2013-0062, which became active this week, is one of less than a dozen domain disputes that have been filed by Twitter and the first for the company in 2013.  Every single case has ended in Twitter’s favor thus far, in some instances without a decision even being handed down by an arbitration panel.  The case for TwitterSearch.com, for example, was terminated, but eventually transferred to Twitter’s control.

Its last dispute over the typo domain Twittter.com (with an extra ‘t’), filed in late 2011 with WIPO, was very similar to this one in that unsuspecting users were lured to a site that looked confusingly similar to the official Twitter site.   The user was then guided through a series of questions that attempted to gather personal information by promising free gifts like an iPad 2.

The surveys that are shown when people try to go to Twitter.org are more current in technology though, offering gifts like the iPhone 5.

According to WHOIS historical records, the domain Twitter.org was registered in the mid-2000s, only months after the dotcom was registered.  The name stayed with its owner, a resident of New York, up until mid-2011 when it began changing hands.

Before redirecting users to a variety of web addresses serving up online surveys, the name was parked and displayed third party advertisements.  Here’s a screenshot of Twitter.org back in 2006.

Twitter.org

As of right now, Twitter.org (WHOIS) is privately registered through Moniker, so it’s unknown who currently owns the name.

Cases like these are usually slam dunks in favor of the complainant.  Last year at this time, Google won a similar case involving YouTube typo domain names.  Not long before that, LinkedIn filed a dispute over LinkdIn.com which redirected users to survey scams.   The company eventually took ownership of the name and withdrew its complaint.

As with any Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP), to win the dispute, Twitter must demonstrate that all of the elements enumerated in paragraph 4(a) of the Policy have been satisfied:

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

(2) that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the disputed domain name; and

(3) that the disputed domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith

Stay tuned for updates…

Talking about this story: Marketing Land and Domain Name Wire

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Disputes News WIPO

Twitter is going after another typo domain: Twittter.com (with an extra ‘t’)

twittter.com

The dispute submitted by Twitter Inc over the typo domain Twittter.com (with an extra ‘t’), comes on the heels of Twitter’s win this month in a similar complaint against the typo domain Twiter.com.

WIPO Case D2011-1973 was filed this week with the World Intellectual Property Organization.

In the case of Twittter.com, the owner is using a popular scam, like the one used by Twiter.com of luring unsuspecting users to a site that looks confusingly similar to the official Twitter site (as shown in the picture above). 

The user is guided through a series of questions that attempts to gather personal information by promising free gifts like an iPad 2. 

Today, the full administrative panel decision was posted in the case of Twiter.com, which involved Twitter, Inc (the complainant) vs. Geigo, Inc of Albrook Park, Panama (the respondent). 

According to the factual background, prior to filing its complaint, Twitter sent several cease-and-desist letters to Geigo, but received no reply.  

Twitter finally reached a Geigo Inc. rep by telephone, who confirmed that they would not transfer the disputed domain name but would consider altering the content at the website.

This apparently, never happened.

Twitter demonstrated confusing similarity, that Geigo lacked rights or a legitimate interest in the domain, and that it was registered in bad faith, which might surprise some readers since the domain was first registered in 2004. 

Here’s what the panel had to say on the point of ‘bad faith’: “Had Respondent made the initial registration in 2004 and maintained ownership through 2011 the Panel would likely have reached a different outcome about Respondent’s having registered the disputed domain name in bad faith. But Respondent has not even alleged that it or an affiliate owned the disputed domain name continuously since 2004, and has offered no proof (indeed no allegation) that it is or was affiliated with any prior owner. The available evidence, not contested by Respondent, shows another owner as late as March 2011.”

Twittter.com (extra ‘t’) is currently registered to Goldberg Client Services, Inc. according to WHOIS records (privacy has been removed as of yesterday).  The domain was initially registered by its first owner in 2007.

Given the track record of WIPO with Twitter, Twittter.com will likely be ordered transferred.

You can read through all the details of the Twiter.com decision in Twitter’s latest win here.

[Update 2 on January 26, 2012:  The WIPO Panel has ordered <twittr.com> to be transferred to Twitter Inc.  Details of the decision are available here.]

[Update 1 on November 15, 2011,:  Robin Wauters of TechCrunch pointed out that Twitter has filed a separate complaint (WIPO Case D2011-1992) over Twittr.com.]

Discussion: Search Engine Land and TechCrunch

Categories
Disputes News WIPO

Twitter wins dispute over highly trafficked typo domain Twiter.com

twiter

Twitter, Inc. has won a dispute over the highly trafficked typo domain name Twiter.com that led visitors to an online scam survey site.

A panel with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ruled in favor of Twitter.  

Twiter.com was registered long before Twitter.com became what it is today.  Its first owner registered the domain in 2004, nearly 2 years before Jack Dorsey launched the site. 

However, ever since filing the dispute with WIPO (Case No. D2011-1210), it has seemed to be an open-and-shut case against Geigo Inc (the respondent) who has used the web address for a malicious survey scam.

When twiter.com resolved to its own web page, it hit over 100,000 unique visitors per month according to a rough traffic estimate by Compete.

But months ago, Geigo (the respondent) began re-directing visitors from twiter.com to socialupdatepanel.com, a scam survey site (pictured above) that looked confusingly similar to Twitter’s own website.  A message on the home page told visitors they had been selected to participate in a three-question survey, and for completing the survey, they would be able to select a prize like an iPhone 4 or iPad 2.  The site attempted to collect personal information such as cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses. 

In July, I wrote about Twitter taking control of twiter.biz.  Twitter had originally filed a dispute with WIPO over twiter.com in June, then days after filing the dispute it added twiter.biz to the same complaint.  For one reason or another, the case was eventually suspended, then terminated, but not before Twitter was able to get twiter.biz.

After Twitter took control of twiter.biz, it filed a new complaint (Case No. D2011-1210) in July targeting only the twiter.com domain name.

Now with the twiter.com win under its belt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the company file disputes against other typo domains such as twutter.com, which uses the same type of redirect to a scam survey site as twiter.com has used.

Update at 10:34 a.m. ET on Nov. 11: The full administrative panel decision has been posted online.  Twitter Inc. has also filed a new complaint over the domain Twittter.com (with an extra ‘t’).

Discussion: The Next Web, Search Engine Land, The Verge, Softpedia News and Techmeme

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Disputes News WIPO

Twitter finally files domain dispute over typo – Twiter.com

twiter

Micro blogging site Twitter has filed a domain dispute over the web address twiter.com with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) this week.

The domain has long tricked visitors who typed in the address by sending them to a confusingly similar looking site.  Currently when you type in twiter.com in your web browser, you’ll be taken to a website (screenshot above) that tries to lure you into giving your personal information.

In August 2010, twiter.com reached a high of 125,000 unique visitors according to a rough estimate by Compete.  Recorded traffic dipped after the URL began redirecting visitors to other sites.

According to DomainTools, the name was first registered in 2004, nearly 2 years before Jack Dorsey launched the site.  However, the registrant information has changed over the years.

The respondent in the case is currently hidden behind WHOIS privacy.

Registration Service Provided By: PBCRESELLER
Contact: +85.1234567

Domain Name: TWITER.COM

Registrant:
    PrivacyProtect.org
    Domain Admin      
    ID#10760, PO Box 16
    Note – All Postal Mails Rejected, visit Privacyprotect.org
    Nobby Beach
    null,QLD 4218
    AU

The only other case filed to date by Twitter Inc with WIPO involved twittersearch.com back in 2010, a domain dispute that wasn’t decided by WIPO,  but the company still was successful in having the name transferred. 

As I reported in February, though no decision had been officially announced by WIPO and the case was cancelled, the registrant of twittersearch.com is now Twitter, Inc.

Discussion:  Financial Post, TheDomains, Asian Correspondent, The Next Web, and the The Inquisitr.

Categories
Disputes News WIPO

Twittersearch.com turned over to Twitter, after domain dispute filed back in Dec. ’10

Twitter Search

Back in Dec. 2010, Twitter Inc. filed a case against the owner of the domain Twittersearch.com with WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization.  As TechCrunch first reported, the UDRP complaint was the first ever since the company was founded.

The disputed domain is now registered to Twitter Inc, according to the latest Whois information and data provided by DomainTools.  News of the ownership change has not been reported by any other blog or news site.

The web address continues to resolve to a GoDaddy parked page as it had before the UDRP complaint.

The UDRP complaint, case number D2010-2073, is still active with WIPO.  And though no decision has been officially announced by WIPO as of today, the registrant is now Twitter, Inc. 

Will Twitter go after more Twitter domains?

While Twitter hasn’t filed any new cases with WIPO, it’s possible that some degree of precedence has been set on twitter domains. 

Robin Wauters suggested that Twitter-search.com might be the next disputed domain, but my money is on Searchtwitter.com. According to a rough estimate by Compete, Searchtwitter.com receives just as much type-in traffic (often more) than Twittersearch.com. 

And the owner of the domain, even has a For Sale page online suggesting the domain is available for purchase.

Searchtwitter.com Twittersearch.com