1.
gTLD Update
.biz
goes live with IP claim service
available now at www.gtld.com
for registered trademark holders
.biz,
the first new gTLD to go live since .com, has begun its
application process with the launch of the IP (intellectual
property) Claim Service. The form is now available from
the dedicated new gTLD web site from NetNames at www.gtld.com.
.biz
will allow businesses to stand out on the Internet and stake
their claim with the world's first company-centric domain
suffix. Holders of registered, pending or common trade-
and service marks are being invited to submit intellectual
property claim forms before the deadline of July 9, 2001,
in order to indicate their offline legal status with regard
to that name.
"This
is a great opportunity for businesses to get a domain name
that differentiates them from the myriad of dot-coms out
there," said Jonathan Robinson, CEO of NetNames, part
of the NetBenefit Group. "By offering an initial intellectual
property service, legitimate trademark holders may avoid
many of the cybersquatting problems that have previously
occurred," he continued.
Claimants
will be required to submit the following information:
2.
Industry
News
Hospital
offers babies their own domain name
Babies
born at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City will now go home
with a birth certificate, toys and nappies - and a free
domain name. In the first programme of its kind, the hospital
has joined forces with a domain name registrar to offer
parents of newborns the chance of registering a domain name
for their baby where they can build a home page to post
pictures and information.
Post
Office gets its domain
After
protracted legal discussions, the Post Office agreed terms
over the postoffice.co.uk domain name. The domain was previously
owned by Name Shop and the Post Office, now rebranded as
Consignia, considered this an infringement of its trademark.
The case was due to go the High Court in London in July,
but the two companies have now agreed to an out-of-court
settlement.
3.
NetNames News
NetNames
will be present at the Internet World show from June 5-7,
2001 at Earl’s Court in London. We’ll be on stand
1314, so if you’re in the area, please pop by and say
hello. Our Innovations Manager will be presenting a talk on
‘Joining the dots – elevating your brand on the
Internet’ on June 6 at 10.20am in the New Media New Marketing
Theatre.
4.
Fact of the week
US
no longer dominates the Net
The
US is losing its online dominance, as the Internet enters
its 'post-revolutionary' phase, according to the latest
release of the annual 'Face of the Web' study from Ipsos-Reid.
The
US share of global Internet users dropped from 40 percent
to 36 percent last year, and will continue to drop. Growth
in the number of US users is beginning to level off while
other industrialised countries continue to experience solid
growth.
Western
Europe has 22 percent of the world's Internet users while
12 percent live in the world's other English-speaking countries
(Australia, Canada, South Africa.)
Sweden and Canada now have the highest proportion of Internet
users with 65 percent and 60 percent Internet penetration,
respectively. The US is third, with 59 percent. Other countries
with high penetration include South Korea, Singapore, and
Germany.
Ninety
percent of the world's Internet users have sent email, while
two-thirds of US users and 40 percent of other users in
developed countries have bought something online.
Other
online activities that are gaining in popularity include
visiting entertainment websites, online chat, and exchanging
photos online.
