Microsoft Patents "Cybersquatter Patrol" a Hunter-Killer App for Discovering Squatted Brand Domains

Ironically, Microsoft overlooks registering CybersquatterPatrol.com and the domain is promptly reged and parked

[Webwork]

File this story under "Oh, the irony!"

Today it was revealed that Microsoft created and patented technology to help companies hunt for squatted typos of their brand name. I guess, by taking this step, Microsmurf is positioning itself to recoup some of the costs it has and continues to incur defending its brands against cybersquatters by offering a "service", i.e., it's software as a service.

Patent here: [patft.uspto.gov...] or here: [domainnamewire.com...]

Of course, the news is posted today, July 13, 2010 and guess what also happens today?

Domain Name: CYBERSQUATTERPATROL.COM
Registrar: DYNADOT, LLC
Whois Server: whois.dynadot.com
Referral URL: [dynadot.com...]
Name Server: NS1.FASTPARK.NET
Name Server: NS2.FASTPARK.NET
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 13-jul-2010
Creation Date: 13-jul-2010
Expiration Date: 13-jul-2011

Wonder how long it will take for Microsoft's new software to discover that the name of its new product . . . has been registered, snapped up, parked, err, maybe even "squatted"?

Tip of the hat to DNW / DomainNameWire.com for breaking the story, here:

[domainnamewire.com...]

[artek]

It is like "fox guarding the hen house".

When I type-in directly ccacola_com in Internet Explorer 8 I always end up redirected to Bing search results page thanks to "Live Search".

If this is not new form of the CYBERSQUATTING and taking advantage of misspelled brad name traffic what is it?

They know exactly what they are doing because Bing is even suggesting correct name of the brand but is not showing correct name of the domain name.

IE in this case should return "Server not found" message like Firefox does, to give direct navigation visitors opportunity to correct themselves.

Check your domain names misspelled in IE8 and you will be very surprised where YOUR traffic goes.

[johnnie]

CYBERSQUATERPATROL.COM still free? *grin*

indeed, the irony

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Kudos to the guy/gal snapping up that domain name. If Microsoft didn't have the foresight to register it BEFORE releasing a product it's their own darned fault and you have to admit... that's some funny stuff. I sure hope the product isn't as bad.

[J_RaD]

^ how often do you have a great idea then go try to grab the domain name only to find.........arg!

www.bluewidget.com! hmm
blue-widget.com hmm
bluwidget
blu-widget
blu-wid-gets arg forget it!

[MamaDawg]

Oops-ie :)!

Too funny.

[Webwork]

There's just something "very corporate" about this.

Let's see:

1) Spend $107,000.00 of employee time developing software to track squatted domains.

2) Spend $22,500.00 of employee time or attorney time to file for patent to track squatted domains.

3) Do NOT spend $8.00 to register the domain name of the software that tracks squatted domains.

4) Use Cybersquatter Patrol software to discover that the domain name of the $129,500.00 software is now squatted.

5) Spend $4,000.00 in fees and costs to file WIPO proceeding to recover product domain name, or, file a much more expensive lawsuit to pursue BIG damages . . from a fictional ghost . . living in Elbonia.

Seems efficient to me. Probably deserves an award for such efficiency. :-/

What "award" would that be? Anyone got a good award name?

P.S. IF it's a really good award name you might want to first register it as a domain name.

[weeks]

Great story. I'm sharing this with my clients.

Webwork is right on the money. Good analysis. In a corporation, there is a lot of "that's not my job."

This is the kind of thing I do for them--let's register that domain, let's make sure our servers are secure, let's also have an email newsletter, not just a website, let's advertise a little. Let's tell the employees and our current customers what we're doing. Let's copyright that brochure. Let's tell the truth. Let's make sense. Let's tell the customers how to buy it...

If you can manage a corporation where this kind of thing does not happen, they you are worth a lot of money. It's very difficult. You have to have be a skilled politician and something of a tyrant, both. Most of my clients are skilled politicians, but they don't know how to be a tyrant. So they call me.

[MamaDawg]

6) Utter a few pithy expletives and register the hyphenated version (which was still available, as of a few seconds ago)

:).

Let's see ... the "Just One Minor Detail" award? The "Oversight of the Year" award?

[MatthewHSE]

What "award" would that be? Anyone got a good award name?

I think it already exists as the Darwin Awards. ;)

[trinorthlighting]

Oversight indeed, even the biggest can be typosquatted and there is not much they can do about it.....

[Silvery]

Microsoft actually used to have software that checked domain name permutations some years ago, but I can't immediately recall the name of it.

Back then it was freeware as a sort of beta, I think.

It was actually pretty good. I used it when I worked for a Fortune 10 company and tracked down quite a bit of cybersquatting.

[trinorthlighting]

Oh Boy, the Darwin Awards are already setting in....

[cybersquaterpatrol.com...]

[Webwork]

Nice. That's about the smartest course of action anyone in the registrant's shoes might take in this case. Anyone, that is, who might "be someone" . . . versus being a ghost . . in Elbonia.

What a hoot! :) :) :)

[rocker]

Maybe Microsoft intentionally did not register cybersquatterpatrol.com knowing someone else would squat it so then they can test out their new app for discovering squatted domain names ;)

[Bewenched]

They may have patented the technology behind it, however did they bother to trademark the name?

[Petrogold]

We have one employee from Philippine working as a technician. His name is "Bing" aged 40+. Before Micrsoft taken this domain his mother kept this name with exact spelling. Could he consult a lawyer & open cybersquatting
litigation?

[blend27]

his mother kept this name with exact spelling

Why would employee consult a lawyer about his mother? It would be easier to introduce some one to Mr. Bing, if that some one had a name of Bada, it could havens made match :)

[SEOcean1]

That is absolutely hilarious!

[artek]

They may have patented the technology behind it, however did they bother to trademark the name?

You have to prove usage of the technology (goods) in the interstate commerce.

Once they start selling service they will apply for Trademark and they will get it easily because they already have a patent.

Then they will get domain for free and fun will be over.