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These domains are making me thirsty: .beer options arrive for suds sites
New top-level domains have been popping up on the regular for quite a while, and now there's an option for breweries and other suds-focused operations. Starting today, .beer is an option for those looking lock down a new web address thanks to registry outfit Minds + Machines. In fact, US-based Elysian Brewing Company and Bear Republic Brewing Company have already opted in. If you'll recall, .london, .nyc, .scot and many more options are already available as a part of ICANN's internet naming overhaul. Sadly, ilove.beer has been snatched up. [Photo credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images]
First batch of new generic top-level domains born, Amazon looking unlikely to snag .amazon
After spending over a year thumbing through applications, ICANN has inked agreements for establishing the first new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Those that made the cut this round were the Arabic word for web or network (.شبكة), game in Chinese (.游戏), and the Russian for online (.онлайн), as well as website (.сайт) -- as ICANN notes, these gTLDs will be the first to use non-Latin characters. Also coming out of the ICANN47 meeting for internet overlords is a bit of bad news for Amazon. A committee recommended that the retailer should not be given control of the .amazon domain, likely due to confusion the suffix could create with the Amazon region in South America. ICANN may see fit to go against the recommendation, but if Amazon's history with objectionable applications is anything to go by, it's looking like yet another $185,000 down the drain.
Amazon's bookish top-level domain hunt irks publishers, Barnes & Noble
Publishers represented by the Authors Guild and Association of American Publishers have filed objections to Amazon's pursuit of new generic top-level domains ".book," ".author" and ".read." While some of those gTLDs have already come under fire from entire countries, the influential book groups told gatekeeper ICANN that "placing such generic domains in private hands is plainly anticompetitive," adding that it would allow "already dominant, well-capitalized companies" to abuse their market power. ICANN plans to assign rights to organizations or companies to manage domain suffixes like the current ".com" or ".org" and firms like Google, Microsoft and Amazon have sought names like ".app" and "movie," often in competition with each other. Competitor Barnes & Noble filed its own protest, saying that Amazon "would use control of these TLDs to stifle competition in the bookselling and publishing industries." If such protests are persuasive enough, companies could lose not only the domain name in question, but 20 percent of the $185,000 application fee -- admittedly pocket change for outfits like Amazon.
ICANN lists first custom TLDs up for consideration, starts with Chinese word for 'Catholic'
The bidding process for custom top-level domains led to many candidates, but there can only be one that ICANN considers first. Which one gets the honor? Thanks to a semi-random draw, it's .天主教, or "Catholic" in Chinese -- a domain registered by the Catholic church's Pontifical Council for Social Communication. The position could give the church one of the first active custom TLDs in 2013, ahead of Amazon, VeriSign and others that were among the frontrunners in a 1,930-domain pack. There's no guarantees that the church or any of the other early bidders will be accepted when there's substantial dispute over who, if anyone, should own many of the given domains. Knowing who goes through ICANN's scrutiny, due early next year, may still prepare us for a changed internet landscape.
ICANN shows the full generic TLD application list, Google's bidding splurge
ICANN told us that June 13th was the golden day that we'd get to see all of the initial applications for generic top-level domains (gTLDs), and the full list has surfaced on cue. The early roster shows a lot of competition for certain domains -- we're seeing a baker's dozen in companies trying for .app alone. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and other companies are understandably trying to protect their brand names, but we're just now seeing the full extent of Google's gTLD madness: we're counting 101 instances in which the search firm has tentatively pulled the $185,000 trigger. ICANN still has to settle on which bidders get the domains they want, though, and there's no certainty that Google will fulfill its dreams. When even the cherished .lol domain has a challenger, you know the competition is getting fierce.
ICANN stops taking custom domain names at 7PM ET, details the TLD explosion June 13th
ICANN anticipated that we'd see the first fruits of its open season on top-level domains (TLDs) roughly a year after the hunt began; sure enough, it's winding down applications tonight. If you have the $185,000 plus $25,000 per year to make a domain your own, you've got until midnight GMT (7PM ET) to get that custom spin on the web. Don't think that you'll get the rubber stamp right away, though. ICANN plans to detail the requests on June 13th and consider any objections over similarity or multiple bids for the same name. If all goes smoothly, the first generic TLDs will be active within nine months, while those who face a fight could be waiting roughly one to two years. We're just hoping someone had the courtesy to pick up .gadget for us -- not that ICANN's worried about a gap in registrations after taking $352 million in fees and over 2,000 applications so far.
Chanel counterfeiters beware: US federal court orders domain names seized and de-indexed
We're well versed in the art of the gadget KIRF 'round these parts, but counterfeiting's a problem faced by the fashion world, too. Chanel filed suit in federal court to stop hundreds of websites from selling KIRFs of its gear, and the judge recently ordered the seizure and transfer of those domain names to GoDaddy to hold in trust until the case is resolved. It was also decreed that they be stricken from the indices of search engines and social media -- including, but not limited to Bing, Google, Facebook, and Twitter. So it seems the federal courts have obtained the ability to order that legal remedy (the de-indexing) be given by companies not party to a lawsuit (Google, et al), though we know of no law granting it such powers. Of course, we can't know for sure until one of the accused copycat sites decides to lawyer up and fight back. Until then, fashion KIRFs beware: the feds can apparently wipe every trace of you from the internet.
Apple takes on porn sites in domain name dispute
Apple has filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) against seven domain names featuring the word iPhone that forward to mobile porn sites -- including one site called iPhone4s.com. The latter is especially worrisome, since it matches the name of Apple's new and best-selling handset. The iPhone4s.com site was registered in August of 2008, well before the unveiling of the iPhone 4S in October of 2011. Apple owns domains for iPhone4.com, but iPhone3GS and iPhone 3G are actually non-Apple sites. Some of the other domains targeted in the WIPO complaint include iphonecamforce.com, iphonecam4s, and porn4iphones. All are hardcore sites that Apple does not wish to be associated with, plus they use Apple's product name in the domain name. Apple has used WIPO successfully in domain name disputes, most recently when the organization ordered the owners of iPods.com to transfer the domain name to Apple. Apple doesn't always resort to WIPO in these situations. Last year, they spent a rumored US$4.5 million to purchase the domain iCloud.com from Swedish cloud computing firm Xcerion. But in this case, the company obviously doesn't want potential customers to get a surprise when they're just looking for information about iPhones, so they're going to WIPO for satisfaction.
ICANN's .XXX domain names have arrived, Frankie says relax
Let's try to be sensible about this. When one or more persons love each other very much -- no, erm, let's start again. The controversial move to segregate websites of an adult nature to the .XXX domain has begun. The process is staggered across three months to ensure nothing untoward can happen. On September 7th, the 50-day "Sunrise A & B" programs began, Sunrise A is where adult website and trademark holders can claim their domains as the legitimate owner; At the same time, Sunrise B lets non-adult websites like The Weather Channel claim their domain names to prevent it being used for a very different sort of forecast. There will then be an 18-day Land Rush period, where non-trademarked sites can register and conflicts are resolved with auctions. By December 6th, registration opens to everyone -- just in time for XXXMas.
Google files trademark for 'Spot,' programming language to follow?
It looks as though our old pal in Mountain View might have its sights set on developing another programming language. Avid coders probably recall the company's Go offering that was announced last year. Now, Google is looking to stake its claim on the trademark for "Spot." Sorting through the USPTO mumbo jumbo, it's clear that the project centers on a coding language and its related computer programs. Also of note: the internet powerhouse gobbled up four case-related domains including spotlang.com, spotlanguage.net, spot-lang.com and spot-lang.net. For those looking to See Spot Run, perhaps you'll be able to sprint over to the aforementioned URLs in due time. [Photo credit: brionv]
Amazon snatches up Kindle related domains, Kindle Air rumors start circulating
Honestly, we're not sure what to make of all the rumors and leaks surrounding Amazon recently. It's safe to assume the company is working on a tablet, and we're long overdue for an update to E-Ink Kindle. But, a recent round of domain registrations has sent the interwebs into a tizzy with some suggesting a new product, dubbed the Kindle Air, is in the pipeline. Though Amazon's name doesn't appear anywhere in the registrant information for Kindleair.com, the name MarkMonitor does -- the firm Bezos and crew just used to register kindlesocialnetwork.com and kindlesocialnetworking.com. Now, companies pickup domains all the time just to protect their brand, and it seems a bit odd that Amazon would choose a moniker so similar to a particular sliver of aluminum and silicon out of Cupertino. Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait and see if an even lighter and thinner e-reader is on its way from the Seattle company.
Microsoft snatches up a pair of Sony related domains, internet runs amok with rumors
Companies snatching up domain names to protect their brand is nothing new, nor is it particularly interesting (unless that company happens to be Bank of America, and the domain in question is BrianMoynihanSucks.com). But, a recent a pair of recent registrations by Microsoft has piqued our curiosity. The folks at Redmond picked up both Microsoft-Sony.com and Sony-Microsoft.com, which has spurred speculation that everything from a Sony-Ericsson WP7 handset to a PlayBox 720 is on its way. The move is worth noting if only because the company doesn't own similar domains, like LG-Microsoft.com or HTC-Microsoft.com. Of course, it could be something as mundane as a joint marketing campaign for Sony laptops or nothing at all -- we'll just have to wait and see. [Thanks, Joonas]
Apple goes on a domain name shopping spree
Apple has bought at least 50 domain names in the last three days. While many of the domain names are related to features of Lion or iOS 5 that were introduced at WWDC on Monday, it's unlikely Apple will use most of the domain names as active URLs. Instead, Apple probably just snapped them up to keep squatters from getting them. After all, it's got to be tiring going after every single person who buys a domain with one of your trademarks in it. Here's a complete list of the domain names:
ICANN has .xxx domain names? Yes!
The controversial step to approve .xxx domain names has today been taken by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, paving the way for a whole slew of new addresses suffixed by the famous triplicate x. Funnily enough, before the decision was made today, opposition to it was proffered by both conservative groups opposed to pornography and adult entertainment companies fearing they'd be more easily compartmentalized and potentially blocked by overzealous governments. Moreover, every popular adult website at present will pretty much be forced to buy its .xxx version, which, for an industry famous for its frugality, will be an understandably tough pill to swallow. We are surprised not to see the people of Amsterdam consulted, however -- their city's emblem features three Xs too, shouldn't they have a say in this? A further meeting is scheduled by ICANN for June 20th to discuss opening up all possible domain name suffixes to registration, pending the validation of a set of guidelines for approval. That's looking quite likely to be passed too, as the AFP sagely notes that there's a celebratory party scheduled for two days after the event. URLs are about to get a lot more varied, it seems; they're certainly going to feature a lot more of the (English) alphabet's 24th letter, whatever the case.
Apple now owns FaceTime.com
Apple debuted its FaceTime video calling service when it launched the iPhone 4 in June 2010. The Cupertino company faced a potential trademark conflict with FaceTime Communications, a company that delivers a unified communications platform for enterprise businesses. Rather than fight the company over the trademark, Apple negotiated an agreement with FaceTime Communications to obtain the rights to the name. The company recently changed its name to Actiance and transferred the trademark, as well as the domain name of Facetime.com, to Apple. Though under its possession, the domain does not yet point to an Apple-created website. Interestingly enough, Apple still does not own the iPad.com domain name, though it owns a trademark for the term.
Verizon grabbing iPhone domains
A report circulating over the holiday weekend suggests Verizon is buying up Verizon iPhone-related domain names in anticipation of an impending CDMA iPhone launch. The domain names, iphoneonverizon.com and iphoneforverizon.com, were transferred to Verizon Wireless Trademark Services, LLC, a company that also holds the main Verizonwireless.com domain. While hopes are high that Apple and Verizon will unveil a new iPhone model in the upcoming months, the purchase of a few domain names is not a reliable indicator of an impending launch. As MacRumors points out, the domain names in question, iphoneonverizon.com and iphoneforverizon.com, were transferred to Verizon Wireless back in 2008, but have sat idle in the intervening years. Rather than a dummy page at Verizon, the domains apparently still point to the original link farms. If Verizon had big plans for these domains, they most likely would not point to a worthless link farm. In the end, this rumor does little to confirm or deny the existence of an upcoming Verizon iPhone. We do think a Verizon iPhone is possible in the future, but we need more evidence than a few domain names to convince us that its debut is right around the corner. Show us a CDMA model you picked up in a bar, and then we can have this conversation again.
US government seizes domain names, claims to have a warrant
We're all for bashing botnets, but the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may have crossed a line -- in the midst of nabbing counterfeiters this weekend, the government organization seized the domains of a torrent meta-tracker and a trio of music sites. Today, the picture above is the only thing you'll see if you go to Torrent-Finder.com, RapGodFathers.com, Dajaz1.com or OnSmash.com, as the ICANN domain registration for the four are now in the ICE's possession, presumably on suspicion of piracy. If you ask the original domain owners however, they'll vehemently refute such allegations -- the torrent site reportedly didn't even distribute torrents themselves, merely cross-referenced other sites that do, and a RapGodFathers representative told TorrentFreak that it had complied with all DMCA takedown notifications. Apparently the websites and servers themselves are still intact, and it's only the URLs at stake, as two of the four websites are already up and running at domains ending in .info. We have to admit, this particular brand of domain squatting could be an intriguing business model. Expect "seized domains" to be tacked onto the laundry list of "Valuable Items You Too Can Buy at Government Auction!" any day now. [Thanks, Brian]
DomainBrain 1.1
The Iconfactory's Anthony Piraino has just released the latest version of his domain management tool, DomainBrain. If you aren't familiar with DomainBrain, it is a really, really slick way to keep track of all of your domain information, like various logins, directories, passwords, in one nice and tidy place.We've covered DomainBrain in the past and although I initially rebuked the idea of a program for domain management, I can honestly say it has turned out to be incredibly useful. Instead of sifting through e-mails or keychain files to find the specific login for something that has a common username, I have a nice looking repository for all my information.The newest version of the software introduces the ability to make duplicate domains, which is really helpful if you are anything like me and have 12 domains associated with the same account. DomainBrain makes it easier to just change the necessary details and not have to recreate the whole template. My favorite new feature is the integrated WHOIS information, which will show you what nameservers your domain is on and when the domain expires. This makes it super easy to check when all of your domains are up for renewal, without having to manually do a WHOIS search for each address. I better make sure my domain is on auto-renew! DomainBrain is free for up to four domains. If you need to store the information for more than four domains, it's $14.99. DomainBrain is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and up.
