Brand protection online: what you need to know
The online world is rife with problems, meaning brand owners should monitor any potential dangers in order to protect their identity says Nick Wenban-Smith of Nominet.
The power of a poor review
A bad—or good—online review can have a huge impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions, so brand owners need to be vigilant in addressing false reviews and misleading online review tactics, say Marc Rachman and Brandie Lustbader of Davis & Gilbert.
Social media and trademarks: making a hash of it
What is the scope for registering social media hashtags as trademarks in Europe, and could trying to control the public’s use of hashtags actually be a bad idea? George Sevier and Dan Smith of law firm Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co take a look.
Taylor Swift trademark applications: walking the line
Singer Taylor Swift has applied for several US trademarks that feature lyrics from her songs and has thereby sparked a flurry of interest from the media, including TBO.
Sandy Hook: fighting against social media trolls
More than two years after the Sandy Hook tragedy, the family of one of the victims has tried to trademark her name to combat fake social media profiles. But will this strategy work? TBO finds out more.
Alibaba triumphs in Russian trademark fight
China’s Alibaba Group has successfully cancelled the Russian trademark registration for ‘Alibaba/Алибаба’, on the grounds that it has an interest in the mark. Igor Motsnyi reports.
Oscars special: And the winner is … piracy
Illegal downloads of movies reportedly increased by 385% worldwide after this year’s Oscar nominees were announced. TBO investigates.
New gTLDs: Room to grow
The first year of new gTLD availability has provided a promising snapshot of what’s to come in the revolution of online branding. Bob Samuelson of Donuts reports.
The URS: a breath of fresh air?
The Uniform Rapid Suspension system is a fast, cost-efficient legal mechanism for brand owners to fight cybersquatting, and it has a formal appeal process. Stuart Fuller of NetNames reports on its performance so far.
WIPO interview: Keeping the peace
WIPO’s Arbitration and Mediation Center strives to provide quality services that benefit all stakeholders in the domain name system. Brian Beckham, head of the internet dispute resolution section, spoke to TBO about what’s in store for 2015.
