Schools Buy .xxx Domains In Trademark Panic
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bs0d3 writes "Schools nationwide, including The University of Missouri and Washington University, are snapping up .xxx domain names to avoid people making porn sites with their names in the url. The new .xxx domain will be launched later this year, and before that, everyone with a trademark will have the opportunity to reserve names during what's called a "sunrise period". Someone is promoting the possible horrors of what could happen as a way to sell these domains, which cost up to $200 dollars per domain per year. Even though these schools may already be protected from defamation and trademark infringement, they still feel compelled to buy these names."
Re:The Domain Name System is working out really we (Score:5, Informative)
Re:The Domain Name System is working out really we (Score:5, Informative)
Only if you're doing it right ;)
Former Australian Prime Minister did something lik (Score:4, Informative)
I may have to explain that in more detail to avoid kneejerk know-it-all reactions that will crap on about ".au". Christmas Island is a very small Australian territory and ultimately some of the ".cx" domain registration money made it back into Australian consolidated revenue.
Re:The Domain Name System is working out really we (Score:4, Informative)
By actively building recognition of the mark, to avoid it becoming generic. Don't just advertise for Quiggle. Advertise for Quiggle-brand widgets, from the makers of Foobar.
Your trademark being used by someone else doesn't really matter, until you object to it. Once you have a dispute, your opponent will try to show that your trademark isn't really unique to you, and you've done little to try to keep it unique. They'll gather a lot of little things, like similar domain names you didn't register, old advertisements where you didn't emphasize the mark as a brand, and stock photos that show your mark without your authorization. It all builds up to show that your mark is now just a synonym with the type of product, rather than the brand.
Re:So no www.harvard.xxx (Score:5, Informative)
Having actually attended an ivy league university......www.yalesluts.xxx and the like is, much to many undergrad's chagrin, deceptive advertising.