Google hijack?

[rupert691]

If it went through the legal process (depending on the Country of course), the owners of the 'eBid.com' web-site (not this one), would have to show why the name 'eBid' is relevent to them (which they may be able to), and why they have 'more' right to it, than eBid (eBid propper, that is). If 'eBid propper' could show that it has more right to the domain name 'eBid.com', than the current owners of eBid.com, then they may be forced to relinquish the dot.com site for eBid proppers use, (always supposing eBid wished to take up the dot.com domain name). There have been a number of cases won successfully, against 'domain squatters' and those who have registered a domain name, purely to cause malice and confusion, who have been unsuccessful in their attempts to show they have a legitimate use for their domain name. The 'Moss and Coleman' Solicitors case, and the 'ScoobyDoo' one come to mind.

All the best, Simon.

[lofty100e]

Problem is Simon those legal actions are expensive and don't always come out the way you would think they would.

A cafe in Birmingham owned by a fellah called Mick, started selling MickBurgers; this was along time before the golden arches invaded England.

Then Big Mac comes along and takes Mick to court basically for taking the Pee I guess. But despite all their money they lost, because he could prove that he had been selling them previously. So it could be cheaper to wait for it to come available,(may be wrong but aren't the domains sold on a time limit); or buy the current owner out.

[kengillam]

Or they could just offer to buy it. The thing is what would be the financial benefit, as reckoned against the possible financial loss of not obtaining the domain.

[rupert691]

Problem is Simon those legal actions are expensive and don't always come out the way you would think they would.

A cafe in Birmingham owned by a fellah called Mick, started selling MickBurgers; this was along time before the golden arches invaded England.

Then Big Mac comes along and takes Mick to court basically for taking the Pee I guess. But despite all their money they lost, because he could prove that he had been selling them previously. So it could be cheaper to wait for it to come available,(may be wrong but aren't the domains sold on a time limit); or buy the current owner out.

Absolutely right , nothing is certain in law, and logic has almost gone out of the window in some Cases! LOL! Yes, as far as I recall, domains expire, and need to be renewed, or can be bought out.

To be perfectly honest, I don't really see it as a significant problem for eBid, as long as they PUSH the '.net'. The '.net' is part of what should make the eBid URL memorable, but if this works in practice, only time will tell. LOL! Nine times out of ten, I'll type in '.com' or '.co.uk' if I'm guessing a domain suffix, and I imagine many others would always do this too, in preference to '.net'

All the best, Simon.

[sdk]

http://www.networksolutions.com/whoi...omain=ebid.com

Domain Name: EBID.COM
Registrar: MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC.
Creation Date: 07-nov-1996
Expiration Date: 06-nov-2016

http://www.networksolutions.com/whoi...omain=ebid.net

Domain Name: EBID.NET
Registrar: TUCOWS INC.
Creation Date: 31-jan-2001
Expiration Date: 31-jan-2008


Looks to me from the creation dates as though whenever the decision was made to use the name 'eBid,' the .com version had already been taken.

The domain ebid.com doesn't expire till 2016; ebid.net expires next month (! - but one hopes that TPTB will renew).

There's also ebid.biz - that appears to be 'parked' and could well be held by a 'domain squatter,' but I for one don't rate the '.biz' domain.

Most people who are new to the 'Net WILL assume a .com domain, so it might well be worth TPTB making enquiries of the current holders of ebid.com how much they want for it.

Although I suspect the answer will be some variant of 'more than you can afford, mate.'

[Gothicina]

A case of ebid being remiss in not owning all the appropriate domains, 99% of folk typing ebid into their browser are going to add the dot com extension. Controlling this sort of thing is paramount if you want to control traffic or at least hope to.

From the dates, eBid com was already taken when eBid was started,
if you check Alexa & compare the 3 eBid domains the guys now own,
you'll see that it progressed from eBid.co.uk, to eBid.tv, then to eBid.net as the main domain marketed.

I guess when they started they were only thinking of a UK company,
eBid.co.uk 1999
http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebid.co.uk

ebid.tv 2002
http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebid.tv

Although Netcraft shows eBid.net first registered in 2002
http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebid.net

the guys only purchased it in 2005!
http://helpdesk.ebid.net/showthread.php?t=80376&highlight=domain

[CrowlasCrafts]

Another thread here about this problem - except they were finding e*ay at the end of the link!