Successful UDRP Complaint - sasoldocs.com and sasoldocs.mobi

Occasionally cybersquatters will be very bold and aggressive with the domains they register. In this case the squatter registered sasoldocs.com and sasoldocs.mobi with the intent to sell the domain names and/or sell its products to the Complainant (Sasol) and used the domain names as a bargaining chip in its negotiations. Lexsynergy filed a complaint with the UDRP and presented evidence that the squatter had engaged in a pattern of bad faith registrations and had targeted many well-known South African and International trademarks.

The UDRP panelists found that the domain name infringed on Sasol’s trademark and that the squatter was using the domain in bad faith.

Lexsynergy was successful in recovering the domain names sasoldocs.com and sasoldocs.mobi. Read the full decision here:

http://www.adrforum.com/domaindecisions/1622658.htm

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION OF SCAM

We would like to bring to your attention a new phishing email being sent to domain name registrants. The email informs the registrant that the domain name has been suspended due to violations of the registrar's abuse policies. This email contains a link to download malicious software. We have included a sample of the message below for your reference.

We ask that if you receive one of these emails do NOT click on any links within and forward it support@lexsynergy.com.

This proactive notification is intended to draw your attention to scams as described above and to remind you to take care when engaging online services. If you are ever in doubt of the authenticity of an email from Lexsynergy, please contact our support department.

We will also shortly be sending out an email to clients on security best practices when managing your domains with Lexsynergy which we strongly advise you to read.

----------- BEGIN SAMPLE -----------

Dear Sir/Madam,

The following domain names have been suspended for violation of the Lexsynergy Limited Abuse Policy:
Domain Name:
Registrar: Lexsynergy Limited
Registrant Name:
Multiple warnings were sent by Lexsynergy Limited Spam and Abuse Department to give you an opportunity to address the complaints we have received.

We did not receive a reply from you to these email warnings so we then attempted to contact you via telephone.

We had no choice but to suspend your domain name when you did not respond to our attempts to contact you.

Click here and download a copy of complaints we have received.

Please contact us for additional information regarding this notification.

Sincerely,
Lexsynergy Limited
Spam and Abuse Department
Abuse Department Hotline: 480-184-8256
----------- END SAMPLE -----------

.WINE Pioneer Program

Be a Trendsetter in the Wine Industry by Securing your .WINE Domain Name

.Wine and .VIN are two of the newest gTLDs to enter the marketplace with a Sunrise scheduled to launch on 17 November. By participating in the .WINE Pioneer program qualified wineries have a chance to secure their .WINE domain prior to the Sunrise phase and at no cost for the first two years.
Lexsynergy is hosting an informational webinar about the .WINE Pioneer Program on Wednesday, 4 November at 13:00 UTC. Click here to register for the webinar.

Benefits of the Pioneer Program

• Be a first mover - obtain a .wine / .vin domain name before anyone else
• NO PARTICIPATION COST and registration fee waived for 2 years
• Many naming options available from exact match brand names to valuable generic terms
• Minimal technical requirements - simply redirect your existing site to .wine / .vin domain or use new URL as an opportunity to create a microsite, promotional campaign, product launch, consumer experience, etc.
• Create a promotional story and opportunity to reach / communicate with customers.
• Demonstrate awareness of new and innovative industry happenings.
• Inclusion in the official .WINE PR and press outreach. Donuts, the managing registry for .WINE, currently syndicates internationally across PR Newswire, OutBrain, Nativo, Inc. Magazine, and an extensive network of bloggers, respected spokesmen, and international media including CNN, CNBC, CBS, and Forbes (due for even greater amplification and internationalization in 2016).

Requirements of the Pioneer Program

• URL resolution of .wine / .vin domain name in the browser (IP 301 redirect or DNS CNAME satisfy requirements - Lexsynergy can assist with this)
• Must promote the domain in some way. This "promotion" requirement has been designed to harmonize with your brand's existing marketing and communications strategy and can include:  change of social media profiles to reflect new URL, social media communications of new address (Twitter, Facebook), offline/online advertisements listing new .wine /.vin URL, press release and promotion in partnership with Donuts, promotional webpage or microsite, etc.
• Must go live / promote site before General Availability (Jan 20th)

Places are limited for this program and Pioneer domain names assigned on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants. If you are interested in participating in the .WINE Pioneer Program email us at support@lexsynergy.com

Successful UDRP Complaint - wwwsophos.com

A common technique of typosquatters is removing the “.” after the “www” in a web address. In this case a squatter registered wwwsophos.com which was confusingly similar to and an infringement on www.sophos.com. Lexsynergy was able to prove that the squatter used the domain for commercial profit based on the fact that it was so similar to www.sophos.com

Lexsynergy was successful in recovering the domain name wwwsophos.com via a UDRP complaint.
Read the full decision here:

http://www.adrforum.com/domaindecisions/1615016.htm

When Choosing Domain Names, Searchmetrics Suggests Don't Focus On Keywords

Leading SEO company Searchmetrics has conducted research to determine the most important ranking factors for high-ranking Google.com search results. They found the ranking factors most important are:

• relevant, holistic content is more important than ever
• responsive web design may be having a positive effect on ranking
• keywords are becoming increasingly obsolete while increasing numbers of high-ranking URLs are not using the corresponding keyword in the body or description
• the times of unnatural link building and maybe of links in general are or may soon be over
• social signals remain important for brand awareness and help to drive organic traffic to top ranking sites.

In short, when it comes to domain names, the Searchmetrics research finds that the share of keyword domains in the search results has decreased in recent years and they suggest when choosing domain names, to not focus on keywords.

To receive the full Searchmetrics research email us at support@lexsynergy.com.

.LAW and .ABOGADO Early Access Program

The .LAW and .ABOGADO Early Access Program (EAP) will run next week from 12 October to 18 October. The fees of an EAP registration will decrease as the days progress. Here is a summary of the EAP fee schedule:

October 12 ­‐ $10 945
October 13 - $3 225
October 14 - $1525
October 15 - $1015
October 16 - 18 - $575

Starting October 19, domains names can be registered at the standard price of $425 per year. Certain domain names have been classified as Premium and will be sold at higher prices.

If you wish to apply for a .law domain during the EAP or wish find out if the domain you are interested in is on the premium list email support@lexsynergy.com

In order to be eligible to register (and continue to be a registrant of) a domain name in the .LAW and .ABOGADO TLDs, the registrant must be a Qualified Lawyer. For the purposes of this eligibility criteria, a Qualified Lawyer is a professional who is licensed to practice law by an approved regulator of legal services in a given jurisdiction. A Qualified Lawyer must be identifiable as a currently licensed practitioner in the public records kept by the relevant approved regulator.

Applications for domain names in .LAW and .ABOGADO using a registrar proxy or privacy service or any other service having an equivalent effect will not be allowed.

.NYC – Collision List Name Release on 8 October

On October 8, 2015, in celebration of its first anniversary, the .nyc Registry will be making 16,674 of previously blocked .nyc Collision List domain names available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Many domains on this list consist of high value keyword and brandable names that are likely to be in high demand.  In addition, the .nyc Registry will also release the previously held 87 Abandoned Auction domain names from the .nyc Landrush Phase.

This will provide individuals and businesses in New York with an opportunity to register a host of short, memorable domain names in the .nyc name space that have previously been unavailable – all at standard .nyc prices.

To receive the list of domains that will be released, email us at support@lexsynergy.com

Reserved Name Lists Public Release Details
Release Date:    8 October 2015
Release Time:    3:00pm EDT – 5:00pm EDT*
List(s):               Names Collision List (sub-set); Abandoned Auctions List

*Please note:  the applicable names will be released in random order beginning at 3:00pm EDT and will be completed by 5:00pm EDT or sooner.

Successful UDRP Complaint - paperlessspost.com

One of the most common techniques of typosquatters is adding or removing a single letter from a trade mark. In this case a squatter added an extra “s” to Paperless Post and registered paperlessspost.com. Lexsynergy was able to prove that the domain name was confusingly similar to Paperless Post’s trade mark registration with the USPTO and that the squatter was using the domain in bad faith.

Lexsynergy was successful in recovering the domain name paperlessspost.com via a UDRP complaint.

Read the full decision here:
http://www.adrforum.com/domaindecisions/1629515.htm

Lexsynergy Founder and CEO Appointed to INTA’s Internet Committee

Daniel Greenberg, Lexsynergy’s Founder and CEO, has been appointed to the International Trademark Association (INTA) Internet Committee for the 2016-2017 term.

INTA’s Internet Committee develops and advocates the Association’s policy regarding the balanced protection of trademarks on the Internet. As a member of the committee, Mr. Greenberg will assist in the development in treaties, cases, legislation and regulation in various jurisdictions, complete analyses and propose policy recommendations to the Board.

Mr. Greenberg is an Intellectual Property attorney with over 15 years of experience in trademarks, copyright, domain names and brand enforcement online. He has been an INTA member for 7 years.