JC Penney - US Retail Giant - Preemptive / Anti-Labor Union Domain Registrations?

Web reputation management or harming its reputation by registering likely opposition party domains?

[Webwork]

I don't often see large scale preemptive domain registrations like the following.

There's something not all that nice about this apparent anti-union action, like "If we register these domains we can suppress or impair the voice of the opposition".

They have every right to register whatever domains they want to register, especially any that may reference their company name, but public knowledge/awareness of this maneuver might be used make it appear that JCP intends to suppress dissent and/or discussion and/or organization of the opposing voices by any and all means. (IMHO, for a union or opposting voice to use a domain with JCP in it to organize around would not be adjudicated a violation of JCP's trademark . . but get yer own legal opinion if you're someone doing this. ;) )

What do you think? Smart move? Dumb move?

New registrations for JCPENNEY.COM for 3/25/2010.

1 BOYCOTTJCP.COM
2 BOYCOTTJCP.NET
3 BOYCOTTJCPENNEY.COM
4 BOYCOTTJCPENNEY.NET
5 JCP-LABOR.COM
6 JCP-LABOR.NET
7 JCP-MANHATTAN.COM
8 JCP-MANHATTAN.NET
9 JCP-QUEENS.COM
10 JCP-QUEENS.NET
11 JCP-RWDSU3.COM
12 JCP-RWDSU3.NET
13 JCP-RWDSU3.ORG
14 JCP-RWDSULOCAL3.COM
15 JCP-RWDSULOCAL3.NET
16 JCP-RWDSULOCAL3.ORG
17 JCPENNEY-LABOR.COM
18 JCPENNEY-LABOR.NET
19 JCPENNEY-MANHATTAN.COM
20 JCPENNEY-MANHATTAN.NET
21 JCPENNEY-MANHATTAN.ORG
22 JCPENNEY-QUEENS.COM
23 JCPENNEY-RWDSU3.COM
24 JCPENNEY-RWDSU3.NET
25 JCPENNEY-RWDSU3.ORG
26 JCPENNEY-UNION.COM
27 JCPENNEY-UNION.NET
28 JCPENNEY-UNION.ORG
29 JCPENNEYEMPLOYEES.NET
30 JCPENNEYJOBS.NET
31 JCPENNEYJUSTICE.COM
32 JCPENNEYJUSTICE.NET
33 JCPENNEYLABOR.COM
34 JCPENNEYLABOR.NET
35 JCPENNEYMANHATTAN.COM
36 JCPENNEYMANHATTAN.NET
37 JCPENNEYORGANIZE.COM
38 JCPENNEYORGANIZE.NET
39 JCPENNEYORGANIZE.ORG
40 JCPENNEYQUEENS.COM
41 JCPENNEYQUEENS.NET
42 JCPENNEYQUEENSUNION.COM
43 JCPENNEYQUEENSUNION.NET
44 JCPENNEYQUEENSUNION.ORG
45 JCPENNEYRESPECT.COM
46 JCPENNEYRESPECT.NET
47 JCPENNEYRESPECT.ORG
48 JCPENNEYUNFAIR.COM
49 JCPENNEYUNFAIR.NET
50 JCPENNEYUNFAIR.ORG
51 JCPENNEYUNIONVOTE.COM
52 JCPENNEYUNIONVOTE.NET
53 JCPENNEYUNIONVOTE.ORG
54 JCPENNEYWORKERS.COM
55 JCPENNEYWORKERS.NET
56 JCPJOBS.NET
57 JCPJUSTICE.COM
58 JCPJUSTICE.NET
59 JCPLABOR.COM
60 JCPLABOR.NET
61 JCPMANHATTANUNION.COM
62 JCPMANHATTANUNION.NET
63 JCPMANHATTANUNION.ORG
64 JCPORGANIZE.COM
65 JCPORGANIZE.NET
66 JCPORGANIZE.ORG
67 JCPQUEENSUNION.COM
68 JCPQUEENSUNION.NET
69 JCPQUEENSUNION.ORG
70 JCPRESPECT.COM
71 JCPRESPECT.NET
72 JCPRESPECT.ORG
73 JCPSURVEYABLE.COM
74 JCPUNFAIR.COM
75 JCPUNFAIR.NET
76 JCPUNFAIR.ORG
77 JCPUNIONVOTE.COM
78 JCPUNIONVOTE.NET
79 JCPUNIONVOTE.ORG
80 JCPWORKERS.COM
81 JCPWORKERS.NET
82 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCP.COM
83 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCP.NET
84 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCP.ORG
85 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCPENNEY.COM
86 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCPENNEY.NET
87 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCPENNEY.ORG
88 MAKETHEROADJCP.COM
89 MAKETHEROADJCP.NET
90 MAKETHEROADJCP.ORG
91 MAKETHEROADJCPENNEY.COM
92 MAKETHEROADJCPENNEY.NET
93 MAKETHEROADJCPENNEY.ORG
94 MTRJCP.COM
95 MTRJCP.NET
96 MTRJCP.ORG
97 MTRJCPENNEY.COM
98 MTRJCPENNEY.NET
99 MTRJCPENNEY.ORG
100 POVERTYATJCPENNEY.COM
101 POVERTYATJCPENNEY.NET
102 POVERTYATJCPENNEY.ORG
103 VOTEUNIONJCP.COM
104 VOTEUNIONJCP.NET
105 VOTEUNIONJCP.ORG
106 VOTEUNIONJCPENNEY.COM
107 VOTEUNIONJCPENNEY.NET
108 VOTEUNIONJCPENNEY.ORG
109 WORKINGFORPENNEYS.COM
110 WORKINGFORPENNEYS.NET
111 WORKINGFORPENNIES.COM
112 WORKINGFORPENNIES.NET
113 WORKINGFORPENNYS.COM
114 WORKINGFORPENNYS.NET

(List courtesy of Dom Tools "Daily Changes" DNS utility.)

[Webwork]

Add these two newly registered "likely voice of the oppostion" domains to the list:

Domain Name: JCPENNYSUCKS.COM
Registrar: CSC CORPORATE DOMAINS, INC.
Whois Server: whois.corporatedomains.com
Referral URL: [cscglobal.com...]
Name Server: NS.JCPENNEY.COM
Name Server: NS2.JCPENNEY.COM
Status: clientTransferProhibited

Domain Name: JCPSUCKS.COM
Registrar: CSC CORPORATE DOMAINS, INC.
Whois Server: whois.corporatedomains.com
Referral URL: [cscglobal.com...]
Name Server: NS.JCPENNEY.COM
Name Server: NS2.JCPENNEY.COM
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 25-mar-2010
Creation Date: 25-mar-2010
Expiration Date: 25-mar-2013
Updated Date: 25-mar-2010
Creation Date: 25-mar-2010
Expiration Date: 25-mar-2013

Interesting that JCP is so late to the game of preemptively registering their "sucks" name. :P

Is the list in post#1 akin to JCP cybersquatting on the union organizers likely domains?

If you were organizing for the union and wanted to get a message out into the Web how might you use this list?

[edited by: Webwork at 7:42 pm (utc) on Mar 25, 2010]

[buckworks]

Is it valid to assume that "anti-union" equates to "anti-working man/woman"?

This is an interesting list, but I'm not sure what it achieves.

[maximillianos]

Seems like a waste of time/money/resources. What about adding a hyphen, the list becomes infinite...

This is not a solution, just a waste. In my opinion... =)

[arieng]

I agree that this was a bad idea, probably from somewhere in their legal department. What I really have a hard time fathoming is why they attached their name to them. Why not just register them anonymously with no one the wiser?

[Webwork]

I'll venture that JCP spent ~$1,000+ on this move.

Will it actually stop anything from happening online? VERY doubtful.

IF that's the case then is the "word list" (domains) and what may be represented in registering those words, potentially detrimental to JCP?

Do people in Web reputation management actually think these things through?

[CyBerAliEn]

Considering that the average person won't know anything about this, and even if they did know... they probably don't care.

It seems odd and stupid to me. But hey, its a cheap way to try and block a few potential websites if that is their goal. I imagine the idea is something incompetent management thought up.

Regardless... you can register whatever you want, and they have very reasonable grounds for trying to grab domains with their name. I really don't see the point for useful discussion... its a pretty stupid idea, but I don't see an underlying conspiracy to crush the unions and the workforce.

[artek]

Smart move. It is called Trademark protection and it costs nothing.

[Lance912]

Yeah, props to JC Penney.

I don't think it really matters, what some disgruntled union members write on a website shouldn't matter, but $1k is a drop in the bucket to a company like JC Penney, so maybe it prevents some guy making a website and getting TV exposure for it.

[trillianjedi]

Standard issue smart move isn't it? Just pre-emptive protection over a trademark.

Unless I'm missing something. I thought we were all doing this..... ?

<edit>

what may be represented in registering those words, potentially detrimental to JCP?

OK, I get you. Spotted what I'm missing. So in registering these domains there's a potential backfire. Possibly. I think most people would take the view it's just self-protection, given the amount of press that these kinds of domains have had. So I don't see how it could backfire, other than this thread making the homepage here ;)

[Webwork]

Is Penney's registration of:

JCP-RWDSULOCAL3.COM
JCP-RWDSU3.COM
JCPENNEY-RWDSU3.COM
JCPMANHATTANUNION.COM
JCPQUEENSUNION.COM
JCPORGANIZE.COM
VOTEUNIONJCPENNEY.COM
VOTEUNIONJCP.COM

really trademark protection in action?

I don't think so. These types of domain registration look more like JCP treading on the brand of the union, a/k/a the union label. RWDSU = Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union.

What about calling the act of registering domain names that are likely online union organizing "locations" the latest version of "union busting [en.wikipedia.org]"?

FWIW, I'm neither for nor against unions, but I am a big fan of people organizing when they share common concerns that may be addressed more effectively if they join their voices.

I'm also a big fan of Web addresses that send a message.

Notice the messages-in-a-domain that JCP just attempted to seize control of?

[edited by: Webwork at 9:19 pm (utc) on Mar 25, 2010]

[rbarker]

Is it valid to assume that "anti-union" equates to "anti-working man/woman"?

Thanks BW.

[hutcheson]

I can see the union organizers meeting now: "What do we do, Penney's registered all the Penney's-related domain names? I guess we'll just have to close up shop....wait, wait a minute! I've got an idea! We're the pallet-stackers-organized of queens, right? We could buy the domain name "PSOOQ.org", right? And large portions of the sky wouldn't fall...would it?

Some other dude pipes up: "And ... we could register other domains, if we wanted: highpayforpalletstacking.com and dontworkforpennies.com..."

'Course, if there's nobody that bright in the union, it DESERVES to be busted....

[freejung]

Humans are very creative. Union organizers will just come up with some other way to describe their opposition: jcpstrike.com or picketjcp.com or protestjcp.com or... the possibilities are endless, and trying to preempt them just makes JCP look silly IMO.

Workingforpennies.com is a good one though, too bad they got that.

[Webwork]

Talk about countermeasures, including co-opting another entity's "brand" by registering their name as a domain . . .

"Make The Road [maketheroad.org]" is clearly a reference to a community organizing organization - MakeTheRoad.org - that is organizaing people to support workers organizing for better wages, etc.

82 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCP.COM
83 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCP.NET
84 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCP.ORG
85 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCPENNEY.COM
86 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCPENNEY.NET
87 MAKE-THE-ROAD-JCPENNEY.ORG
88 MAKETHEROADJCP.COM
89 MAKETHEROADJCP.NET
90 MAKETHEROADJCP.ORG
91 MAKETHEROADJCPENNEY.COM
92 MAKETHEROADJCPENNEY.NET
93 MAKETHEROADJCPENNEY.ORG
94 MTRJCP.COM
95 MTRJCP.NET
96 MTRJCP.ORG
97 MTRJCPENNEY.COM
98 MTRJCPENNEY.NET
99 MTRJCPENNEY.ORG

Is it brand protection or is it squatting on someone else's brand?

Does JCP have the right to co-opt Make The Road's name? Seems a bit . . off . . to me.

[trillianjedi]

Does JCP have the right to co-opt Make The Road's name? Seems a bit . . off . . to me.

It does a bit...

Is it brand protection or is it squatting on someone else's brand?

Hard to call.

If I was JCP, I think I'd take the view that I'd rather own these than let the other side get their hands on them.

So still seems like a sensible move to me. They may also be in possession of some intelligence that we don't know about. Pre-emptive moves are frequently based on intelligence of some kind.

[Webwork]

Sensible move? What if, by doing this, JCP establishes the precedent/standard for others now registering JCP's name and appending whatever they wish to it? Might JCP fall prey, in the future, to the "good for the goose, good for the gander" rule?

making the homepage here

Sometimes, when I see an interesting activity - one that might be a bellweather - I just . . gets the urge . . to engage the issue. ;)

Clearly the labor/management fight is being taken to the virtual streets . . where virtual barricades are now being erected on certain roads . .

Interesting times.

[walkman]

That's less than $1000 a year. How can it be dumb :) ?

[rbarker]

I own a slew of domains I don't want competitors owning. It's a smart idea from my chair. Very cheap and easy to do.

[incrediBILL]

Of course with all that "protection" someone could just register the .us or .info domains.

The .us could be amusing such as:

JCPENNEYWONTPAY.US
JCPENNEYHATES.US
JCPENNEYFIRED.US

You get the idea ;)

[Freedom]

When the union rep gets dragged out for the obligatory tv interview, its harder to remember names they dont have on that list- if they allow his url.

Bush registered 200 names b4 he ran 4 pres 1st time.

[StoutFiles]

Incredibly dumb by JCP.

The possible combinations are just about endless; if anything it just makes people WANT to start a negative JCP site when they hear about this stupidity. Which is just what the OP did.

Webwork, you should contact them and sell those domains back to them at a high price, they're stupid enough to meet your demands.

[smallcompany]

This looks like something they know it is going to happen and so they're trying to secure as much (enemy's) ammunition as they can. Somebody who follows their other moves may know more which would fit this new domains related activity.

It's like when you're going into the war, being aware of the fact you're the one causing it, knowing you're going after resources which mean money. Before you jump into it, you prepare well from all perspectives you could think of.

Today's capitalism is about capitalizing on the work of others. Not much different then feudalism. It just has some strong gloves on its hands.
Most of the companies (read owners) would be the happiest if they would have people work for free. Oh, is that called slavery?

No, I'm not union guy, I believe that many unions today are just another type of corp being there for somebody's profit.
Just like some non-profit organizations being there to collect money for researches that they don't want to find the cure - ever.

All this has gone just too far. Or I'm mistaking as it has always been like this, for thousands of years.

Technically, I agree with folks that said this company will not achieve much or anything with this.

[JS_Harris]

JCPENNEYWONTPAY.US
JCPENNEYHATES.US
JCPENNEYFIRED.US

Those are funny. The whole thing is a colossal waste of time and energy... but funny.

Actually, the person doing the planning on which names to buy needs to read these forums more. Searching for "JCPENNEY union" in Googles keyword tool returns "union employees" as the 3rd most search for term at 5,000+ a month and "jcpenneyunionemployees" as a dot com is available, lol. Just buying all those names draws attention to the cause, dumb!

[caribguy]

Waiting for the "pink slip" sale. Sometimes a preemptive move only serves to show your hand to your opponent. I think this might have just happened.

[piatkow]

Interesting underling question which is being skated over. They are registering format:
trademark1 + trademark2 where trademark1 is their own and trademark2 is somebody elses. I would be interested to see the judgement if it came to court.

[chicagohh]

Why should JCP wait around for someone else to purchase these domains?

[trillianjedi]

Why should JCP wait around for someone else to purchase these domains?

I think the point being made by the "it's dumb" people in this thread is that they can't possibly buy them all (there are thousands of combo's) so in effect there's no point buying any. And actually buying any just indicates to the public what it is you're trying to prevent.

I have to say I'm also coming around to that line of thinking.

I think there are some obvious ones that are worth having, but the majority are perhaps irrelevant and wouldn't prevent a problem.

[jecasc]

Quite stupid move. Reminds me of German Telekom who started advertising it's products under names like
T-Mobile, T-Home, T-Systems and so on and also started registering domain names like T-Beutel.de =T(ea)Bag or T-Wurst.de [en.wikipedia.org].

The Union could for example simply register any of those domains with a .us top-level or by adding a year, like:
JCPRESPECT2010.NET

[Hugene]

That's really dirty of JCP. Thankfully, like everyone is saying here, there are so many ways to get around their deceptive techniques, hyphens being my favorite.