Research In Motion Purchases BlackPad.com Domain Name
Bertrand Vasquez | Jul 28, 2010 | Comments 9
We knew that the upcoming BlackBerry Tablet could be named “BlackPad.” It’s now beginning to look as if BlackPad will actually be the official name. You see, Waterloo, Ontario-based Research In Motion has purchased the BlackPad.com domain name for an unknown amount of money. This, of course, is leading up to the launch of the so-called BlackBerry Tablet, which many believe will be released at the end of this year. Originally, BlackPad was believed to be just a codename.
Do take into account that the fact that RIM now owns the BlackPad.com domain name doesn’t necessarily mean that the device will be named BlackPad. If your remember well, before the iPad was launched, Apple purchased various domain names referencing a tablet or slate device.
According to registration records, RIM purchased BlackPad.com just days ago. The domain name has existed for several years now. The name itself — BlackPad — has been squatted by a couple of individuals since January 2002. Now, considering that there are no trademarks for BlackPad, it seems unlikely that RIM paid a huge amount of money for the domain name.
Check out more details in the full post.
[ via MobileCrunch ]
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Filed Under: Business
“It has been squatted by a couple of individuals since January 2002″
Care to elaborate? What does squatted mean to you?
It means that the domain name has been used without legal claim.
“It means that the domain name has been used without legal claim.”
What legal claim? Since when do you need a legal claim to own a name no one has a trademark on ?
So RIMM is squatting on it as well? You said there is no TM for the term…
What if I sell black pad notepads (paper with spiral wire).. does that mean I can’t own BlackPad.com?
What if I sell famine products that just so happen to be black instead of the normal white?
One would have to prove these were not the case by the past domain owner. I’m sure there are a million things considered “Black Pad”.
I think the issue with your statement is squatted should be replaced with owned/registered. Nothing was squatted here at all, it was owned/registered.
I’m referring to the name itself — BlackPad. Not the domain name. That’s why I subsequently wrote that it’s unlikely that RIM paid a huge amount of money for it.
I have updated the sentence to reflect on my point.
Your point is still flat out bizzare. How can you deem owning a non tm term as squatting. It is not squatting, its owning, creatingm registering everthing but squatting. If you buy/pay for a piece of real property are you a squatter?
Your point is still flat out bizzare. How can you deem owning a non tm term as squatting. It is not squatting, its owning, creating registering everthing but squatting. If you buy/pay for a piece of real property are you a squatter?
Words have meanings. And in your use of the word “squatted” to describe the actions of the original domain name owners, you are implying that the previous owners were acting in bad faith.
According to the U.S. federal law known as the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, cybersquatting is “registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. The cybersquatter then offers to sell the domain to the person or company who owns a trademark contained within the name at an inflated price.”
As you wrote, the domain was registered in 2002. There wasn’t a trademark on the term “BlackPad” then and there still isn’t one today. If there had been, RIM would have surely taken the domain for free through a UDRP filing and your use of the term “squatted” would be totally acceptable. However, as we know this current situation is nothing like the hypothetical presented above, you should probably amend the “squatted” statement to reflect a more accurate characterization.