Apple files claim to obtain iphone5.com domain

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple has filed a claim with the World Intellectual Property Organization in an attempt to gain ownership of the domain iphone5.com, which is currently owned by another party.

Apple's filing, first reported by Fusible (via MacRumors), could be seen as evidence that Apple plans to name its next-generation iPhone the "iPhone 5." However, it could also simply just be an effort by Apple to avoid confusion among consumers who might think the domain is owned by or affiliated with the company.

With the release of the third-generation iPad in March, Apple chose to eschew its traditional numbering scheme, simply introducing the device as the "new iPad" rather than "iPad 3." That has led some to speculate that Apple could simply call its next iPhone the "new iPhone."

The iphone5.com website is currently a small forum with a handful of posts. The complaint can be found at the official WIPO site, where it is Case D2012-0951 and labeled "active."

WIPO


Apple has turned to WIPO to obtain other domains in the past, including ipods.com last July. Late last year, the company also sought to take down iphone4s.com and a handful of other domains that featured hardcore pornography.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 54
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Here We Go Again.png


     


    I hope they don't just make it a redirect, but send people to a single-page site.


     


    Like this one, but with the relevant subject matter. Aww, that site's down! Maybe people got intelligent enough to let it fall by the wayside. Hopefully the same will happen here.

  • Reply 2 of 54
    patranuspatranus Posts: 366member


    Lawmakers need to make it easier to take down domain squatters.


    It is almost impossible to pick a name for a new business venture because every single domain name is taken and many of them are taking by domain squatters.


    Need a "use it or lose it" policy.

  • Reply 3 of 54
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Patranus View Post


    Lawmakers need to make it easier to take down domain squatters.


    It is almost impossible to pick a name for a new business venture because every single domain name is taken and many of them are taking by domain squatters.


    Need a "use it or lose it" policy.



     It is fairly easy for a company like Apple to take down a website that incorporates its trademark. Apple will obtain this domain no problem. Where it is hard is if you come up with a new name for a business, and then look for it online to find somebody squatting on the name. If the other person thought of the business name before you, you are out of luck. 

  • Reply 4 of 54
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Hmm, a domain name for last years iPhone. iOS surely is easy to use, but do these people think we all have a single digit IQ?
  • Reply 5 of 54
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


    Don't you think someone at Apple would have thought it would be a good idea to buy up "iphone5.com", "iphone6.com", "iphone7.com", etc?


     


    This is pretty basic stuff, folks.

  • Reply 6 of 54
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Don't you think someone at Apple would have thought it would be a good idea to buy up "iphone5.com", "iphone6.com", "iphone7.com", etc?


     


    This is pretty basic stuff, folks.



    Yeah I agree...why didn't they think of this stuff before? 

  • Reply 7 of 54
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    In other news, Apple has owned mammals.org for years and years. The iBex must be imminent!

  • Reply 8 of 54
    lerxtlerxt Posts: 186member
    I don't see why Apple should have a claim on this domain. The reality is that it is a bit like their patent battles....the owners of this site thought of the domain name first so they own it. They should sue Apple if Apple try to use their name idea.
  • Reply 9 of 54
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Lerxt View Post



    I don't see why Apple should have a claim on this domain. The reality is that it is a bit like their patent battles....the owners of this site thought of the domain name first so they own it. They should sue Apple if Apple try to use their name idea.


     


    Seriously?  You can't see the problem with some teenager owning the domain name that's the same as a multi-national corporation?  


    Can't think of any reason why that might be a problem?  

  • Reply 10 of 54


    First come, first served.  I don't understand why you all think Apple has a right to this domain name.  If I buy nextcoolproduct.com.  Apple then decides to make a product called "next cool product", it gives them no right to try to claim my web site.  It makes no difference if it's some amazing web site or just a parked domain.  I got there first. If Apple wants it, they have to buy it from the party who owns it.  This is how the real world works.  You can't cry to mom and dad. 

  • Reply 11 of 54


    Oh, and which preteen here wants to make the first "troll" claim on my comment?  Preemptive reply:  Grow up!

  • Reply 12 of 54


    You need to get real. Just because you grab a domain name doesn't mean that you should keep it. If it is a extension of a company's product name then no your not going to keep it. Period. Now if you had a product on the market before the iphone came out then maybe you have a argument for keeping it (i.e. Ipad in china). 

  • Reply 13 of 54
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by macxpress View Post


    Yeah I agree...why didn't they think of this stuff before? 



    As soon as I get an interesting idea or name, I immediately buy the domain. I should run that division at Apple.

  • Reply 14 of 54
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bottleworks View Post


    First come, first served.  I don't understand why you all think Apple has a right to this domain name.  If I buy nextcoolproduct.com.  Apple then decides to make a product called "next cool product", it gives them no right to try to claim my web site.  It makes no difference if it's some amazing web site or just a parked domain.  I got there first. If Apple wants it, they have to buy it from the party who owns it.  This is how the real world works.  You can't cry to mom and dad. 



     


    This is not "how the real world works."  This is how children see the world.  


     


    "First come first served" is an inherently childish, selfish concept.  It's right up there with "finders keepers."

  • Reply 15 of 54
    echosonicechosonic Posts: 462member


    It isn't a childish concept, it is the "free market" concept.  Childish is suggesting that because one player is bigger and richer than the other he should win out.



    I would be very much in favor of those who register domains being prohibited from owning any domains themselves to avoid having a network solutions type of company squat on every word in the dictionary, however.



    And I am not averse to a use it or lose it policy, if reasonable.  I have been waiting for Smack.com to become available for ten years.  


     


    In ten years it has never done a single thing.  its just parked.  

  • Reply 16 of 54
    adonissmuadonissmu Posts: 1,776member
    Please it is a childish concept. This company is using apples intellectual property to make money when they haven't paid for use of the iPhone label from apple to begin with. That's a scam
  • Reply 17 of 54
    mooooosermoooooser Posts: 14member


    If a teenager was smarter than the entire business development team at Apple (who clearly didn't think to buy it in advance), then no, I don't see a problem.  

  • Reply 18 of 54
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    echosonic wrote: »

    And I am not averse to a use it or lose it policy, if reasonable.  I have been waiting for Smack.com to become available for ten years.  

    In ten years it has never done a single thing.  its just parked.  

    Just check the Whois for applesucks.com it has been registered since the 90s but no problem since there is no objectionable content posted there. So apple must not have liked the content on the iphone5 site. I was squatting on a domain since 1994 and finally sold it a few months ago but not to who I thought I would sell it to. I never posted any content under that URL so the archive was clean.

    Edit: I forgot to mention I also started a Delaware corporation under the same name to protect it. I also have had half a dozen domains taken from me that I registered in the 90s but by the rightful owners. Back when you could actually delete a domain I even did that rather than fight it so the company seeking to take possession then had to go after the new owner who registered after I deleted it. In the beginning you did not have to pay for domain registration. In fact my original internic ID was among the first 100 issued.
  • Reply 19 of 54
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Some more information: 




    Current registrar is "Fabulous.com LTD" and it was registered in 2008. Not sure why Apple didn't just pick them all up back then…


     


    Screen Shot 2012-05-06 at 8.45.02 PM.png

  • Reply 20 of 54
    misamisa Posts: 827member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bottleworks View Post


    First come, first served.  I don't understand why you all think Apple has a right to this domain name.  If I buy nextcoolproduct.com.  Apple then decides to make a product called "next cool product", it gives them no right to try to claim my web site.  It makes no difference if it's some amazing web site or just a parked domain.  I got there first. If Apple wants it, they have to buy it from the party who owns it.  This is how the real world works.  You can't cry to mom and dad. 



     


    It's called domain squatting. If Apple offers the owner 100$ for it, and they refuse, they'll take it by force at the domain registrant's expense.


     


    Companies aren't always successful (see nissan.com ) because ... the domain may actually be someones's name (see also mike rowe soft ) but this is more of an exception. It's unlikely that someone has the last name of "iphone5"


     


    The people that typically register these names are typosquatters that aren't part of their name just have rubbish pages full of ads and no content.

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