Cybersquatting & Domain Dispute Attorneys / Lawyers

Typosquatting High Traffic Trademark Protected Domain Names

Is typosquatting worth $100,000 in liability? 

Harvard University recently performed a study that estimated the amount of profit Google is generating from ad placements on typosquatted domain names.  The report alleges that Google potentially earns $500 million a year in revenue from the advertisements that are placed on the misspelled popular trademark domain names. But is it worth the liability?

It’s really simple to register a domain name which is a typographical variation of a high-traffic, trademark-protected website, and put up landing pages with advertisements, but rarely will you make more than a couple hundred dollars per year.  A cybersquatting lawsuit filed against you could result in $100,000 worth of statutory damages, plus attorney’s fees. 

Trademark Owners Should Block .XXX Domains

Traverse Legal's Internet Law Attorneys can help you protect your brand against .XXX cybersquatting and trademark infringement.

While the initial sunrise period has concluded, trademark owners still have an opportunity to protect their brand against registrations under the .XXX TLD by becoming the domain owner through registration.   If your trademark protected domain name or brand is registered by a third party under the .XXX TLD, your consumers and SEO could be affected.  The last thing any trademark owner wants is for a .XXX domain name to be returned if a consumer is searching Google, Yahoo or Bing for your trademark protected name. 

As of September 7, 2011, owners of registered trademarks can file applications to prevent third parties from registering .XXX domain names containing their trademarks.  This initial period, known as the sunrise period, will conclude on October 28, 2011.  Applications to opt-out can be submitted through any .XXX accredited registrar, with costs varying depending upon the registrar.