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Apple finally going after ipods.com domain
In October 2001 Apple introduced the now iconic iPod, and since almost the same time, Apple has owned the ipod.com domain name. But in April of 2002, someone registered the plural of the ipod as a domain -- ipods.com. For some reason or another Apple chose not to go after the owners of the domain then, even though Apple typically shows no mercy when it comes to its trademarks appearing in domain names. However, as TechCrunch notes, Apple has suddenly moved to claim the ipods.com domain name after more than nine years. Yesterday Apple filed an official complaint; since it owns the iPod trademark, it's likely that ipods.com will be in Apple's hands sooner rather than later. As noted by TC and many others, Apple strangely still does not own iPad.com or any other iPad-related domain names. That's a real head-scratcher considering the popularity of the iPad, the fact that Apple now owns the iPad trademark, and that the company has enough cash in the bank to pay out several million dollars to buy the domain if that's what it takes. Thinking of grabbing an Apple-esqe domain name for yourself? Better check out Apple's guidelines on Unauthorized Use of Apple Trademarks, which point out examples of domain names that people are not allowed to use: You may not use an identical or virtually identical Apple trademark as a second level domain name. Not acceptable: "imac.com" "imacapple.com" "imac-apple.com" "podmart.com"
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.
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone to be called 'Xperia Play'?
We've been hoodwinked by trademark filing and domain registrations before (cough, BlackPad and SurfBook) so we wouldn't say this is anywhere near definite, but we just caught wind of a Sony Ericsson EU trademark registration for "Xperia Play," and SE PR firm Jung Relations has registered a variety of Xperia Play domain names, including XperiaPlay.com, .net, and .org. Yes, that certainly sounds like a promising name for the PlayStation Phone (although not quite as promising as, you know, "PlayStation Phone,") but honestly we wouldn't bet on anything at this point. We've got a feeling we'll either find out either at CES or at MWC in February -- hold on tight. Update: Turns out SE also registered Xperia Arc, Xperia Duo, and Xperia Neo, so now our interest is definitely piqued. And our hopes are totally shatter-able.
Libya cracking down on .ly domain names, reportedly yanking them at will
Ruh roh. It looks as if current owners of .ly domain names may need to be on high alert -- you know, in case the Libyan government decides to yank your URL from the face of the internet. According to a thorough report from Ben Metcalfe, that's exactly what's happening. Vb.ly was recently pulled because the content on the site (read: not the domain) was found to be "obscene, offensive and illegal," presumably based on what would be expected under Libyan Islamic / Sharia Law. More concerning still is that Libya seems to be dictating the pulls on their own, even if the site content isn't in violation of that law. 'Course, it's all pretty vague to begin with, making it even easier to toss under said umbrella and call it a day. We're also hearing that .ly domain names with less than four letters are now being reserved for local Libyans only, and we're guessing that a continued fallout is upon us. Bit.ly, Ow.ly, Ad.ly -- you guys still with us, or what?
RIM takes control of blackpad.com, laughter takes control of our minds
A quick WHOIS confirms that RIM's taken control of blackpad.com -- yes, it's long been rumored as a potential name for the BlackBerry tablet, but we're certainly hoping Waterloo's just parking a domain name to keep squatters at bay, because, seriously, we just got over the iPad jokes, you know? P.S.- And might we see whatever this is at the RIM / AT&T event on Tuesday? Consider our interest piqued.
dotMobi is more than just a top level domain name
Although the experience of browsing the web on a mobile phone has improved greatly over the last couple of days five years or so, there are still sites out there that refuse to load or function as smoothly as they would on a personal computer. A possible solution to this problem comes in the form of yesterday's launch of dotMobi: or if you prefer it cold and impersonal, the new .mobi top level domain name. Yeah, so you're thinking "how's another domain name gonna improve things?" Well, unlike other domain names, dotMobi has a relatively stringent style guide for anyone wishing to register a .mobi domain: mandatory rules for registrants include the requirement that the site can be loaded without typing "www." (a pain on a numerical keypad), and a complete ban on cellphone-browser busting frames. Time will tell whether or not the bar of entry has been set high enough, as all of the tips in the "Highly Recommended" section of the style guide are optional: for example, registrants don't even have to test their website on a mobile device. A giant leap for cellular mankind this is not, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.
