|
|
|
|
Dispute about Pope domains 02.06.2005 - The hype about the "German Pope" is bearing strange fruit, not only in the headlines of the German yellow press -- one paper ran the headline "We are the Pope" -- and in the auction of the car of former Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, now more commonly known as Pope Benedict XVI. Brand grabbers have also been registering the name "Benedict XVI" in all kinds of categories, sometimes with and sometimes without the word "Pope" in front of it, and sometimes with a slightly different spelling. Now, some of them are even trying to assert their rights on the Internet. For instance, Seikon GmbH, which consumer protectionists have already taken a closer look at in connection with telephone horoscopes, is asserting its rights to Pope domains. The company from the southern German town of Sindelfingen is demanding that a pupil hand over three domains containing the name "BenedictXVI". This pupil registered one domain with .com and two with .de just after the Pope was elected. Seikon informed the pupil in writing that the company holds the rights to the brand name "Benedict XVI", among other things, and demanded that ownership of these domains be transferred. The company pointed out, however, that no costs would be incurred as the letter was not intended as the assertion of legal rights; rather, the company only wanted to give the pupil a chance to get out of trouble for free. At the same time, a deadline was set for the transfer of ownership. The pupil then turned to the Sedo.de forum for help. The forum found out that Seikon had only filed for registration, but that the process had not been completed. Only when registration has been made are property rights protected -- retroactively back to the date on which the application was filed. The pupil was not sure what to make all the different advice he was getting, so he eventually gave in to the demands of Seikon, which by that time had also gotten involved in the discussion at Sedo.de, and deleted the domains. However, none of the domains are currently owned by Seikon, which failed to file a complaint at the .de registry DeNIC, leaving the door open for other people to register the domains in their names. In addition to Seikon, a number of applicants with similar sounding brand names are also competing, some of whom have even registered for the same brand category. It is not clear, to say the least, whether the brands applied for would be upheld if challenged. In the meantime, the German Bishops' Conference has also gotten involved in the matter. The Conference has written to the holders of Pope domains and demanded that the domains be closed. A few of the domain owners have given in to this demand. At the same time, the Bishops' Conference is also looking into taking legal action. In the meantime, the discussion at Sedo.de has a involved from a discussion about domains to personal attacks -- which have, of course, also led to him further legal correspondence … (Markus Schickore) / (Craig Morris) / (jk/c't) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article's URL: BuyDomains' Portfolio Crosses 350,000 Premium Domains BuyDomains.com (buydomains.com), a provider of domain names in the secondary market, has grown its portfolio of premium domain names to more than 350,000. “BuyDomains.com’s premium domain name marketplace has grown significantly from the time the company was founded in 1999,” said Michelle Miller, chief operating officer of BuyDomains.com. “We are proud to continue our leadership in this burgeoning market. We broker more premium domain names than anyone and have increased the size of our portfolio to more than 350,000. Our people, technology and passion have made this possible. We will continue to provide our customers with the best domains and technology – backed by the industry’s only 24x7x365, live customer support team. ” In addition to providing domain names in the secondary market, BuyDomains.com offers domain registration, hosting and domain brokerage services. Its turnkey services are designed to let small businesses quickly and effectively build and grow a professional online company. Online Advertising Leader AzoogleAds Grew More Than 100 Percent in the First Half of 2005, Dramatically Outpacing the Overall Growth of the Industry NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2005-- AzoogleAds Reports Nearly 46 Billion CPA Impressions and 10 Million Unique Transactions, Underscoring Its Position as Leading CPA Advertising Network AzoogleAds (www.AzoogleAds.com), a leader in performance-based online advertising, today announced that during the first two quarters of 2005, the company improved revenue and EBITDA by more than 100 percent as compared to the first half of 2004. In 2004, AzoogleAds' revenues surged to $64 million. In the first half of 2005, the AzoogleAds Network, which has more than 7,000 websites and publishers, generated approximately 46 billion cost-per-action (CPA) impressions. It generated 461 million unique click-throughs and facilitated almost 10 million transactions or sales from January to June 30th. These metrics illustrate that the AzoogleAds Network is one of the industry's largest CPA networks. Much of this growth is attributable to AzoogleAd's fraud-proof model in which the company pays publishers only when verified actions are generated. This model enables AzoogleAds to deliver one of the most cost-effective and risk-free advertising tools available to customers such as eBay.com, Omaha Steaks, Netflix, True.com, Stamps.com, MatchNet, and Ask Jeeves. "Our focus on maximizing revenue and guaranteeing return on investment for both advertisers and publishers has enabled AzoogleAds to grow into one of the industry's largest CPA ad networks," said Joe Speiser, AzoogleAds co-founder. "That volume and reach, coupled with the quality of leads generated and a performance-based model, deliver a return on advertising dollars unmatched by other providers and other advertising vehicles." Specializing in all forms of online media, AzoogleAds offers high-impact direct marketing response and fast return on investment through banner network and site-specific advertising, online promotions, data-capture and co-registration programs, campaign management and advertising measurement. A pioneer in the performance-based advertising industry, recent network metrics illustrate that AzoogleAds has the largest network of quality traffic, with network partners reaching billions of impressions monthly. The online advertising industry continues to grow exponentially, mushrooming to $2.8 billion in first-quarter revenues, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. And the rate doesn't seem to show signs of slowing. Forrester Research predicts that online advertising will increase by 23 percent, reaching $14.7 billion in 2005, and growing to $26 billion by 2010. "The rapid growth we've experienced is a good illustration of the industry's trend toward allocating more and more of the ad budget toward new and more measurable forms of advertising that fuel amazing growth," said Alex Zhardanovsky, AzoogleAds co-founder. "The model of the AzoogleAds Network enables us to offer effective solutions for clients and positions us to capitalize on this industry growth and maintain our leadership position." About AzoogleAds AzoogleAds, founded in 2000, is a profitable and rapidly growing online advertising network that delivers customers and generates revenues for its customers. A pioneer in the performance-based advertising industry, AzoogleAds now has the largest network of quality traffic. This highly effective network coupled with proprietary technology and unparalleled industry expertise enables the AzoogleAds team to deliver the most comprehensive and cost-effective strategic online marketing campaigns for advertisers of all sizes and across all industries. For publishers, AzoogleAds provides high-impact campaigns that enable publishers to maximize earnings on their inventory. AzoogleAds customers include eBay.com, Omaha Steaks, Netflix, True.com, Stamps.com, MatchNet, Ask Jeeves and Intermix, among others. The company is privately held and venture backed by TA Associates and the Stripes Group. For more information, please visit AzoogleAds' website at www.AzoogleAds.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
©Copyright
2007
Nielsen Technical Services |
|
|
|
