Car rental company demands typo of National.com, a domain it doesn’t even own.

Vanguard Trademark Holdings, which owns the National car rental brand, has filed a cybersquatting lawsuit (pdf) against the domain name Natiional.com.

The company filed a UDRP against the domain name already. It lost that case in June. On the same day it won a similar case for another typo, Nationnal.com.

Part of the reason it lost the Natiional.com case is because the panel ruled it’s OK to own a typo of a generic word.

But what I find most interesting is that the company doesn’t even own National.com. It’s owned by National Semiconductor. So Vanguard is asking a court to hand over a typo of a domain it doesn’t even own!

I also get a kick out of the convoluted way Vanguard found links to car rentals on Natiional.com, basically saying that if you go a few pages into the directory-like parked page you can find links to car rental companies, including National.

Vanguard says that Natiional.com, although protected with a whois privacy service, actually belongs to Kevin Ham’s Vertical Axis.

12 hours left to take this year’s domain industry survey.

Time is running out to take the seventh annual Domain Name Wire survey.

The survey, which asks users to answer questions about domain name registrars, domain parking, and expired domains, concludes January 31. Results will be published in February.

Participants from 47 countries have already completed the survey. It takes about five minutes and is anonymous. You may opt to provide your name and email address at the end of the survey if you wish to be entered to win a copy of David Kesmodel’s “The Domain Game” book.

Based on results to date, it looks like there might be some shakeup in the domain registrar rankings as well as domain parking.

If you want your voice heard, complete the survey today.

ICANN wants to open another new TLD application round early next year. Is this plausible?

A lot of companies are applying for dot brand top level domains not because they want to right now, but because they think it might be their only chance. At least for the foreseeable future.

But is this the case?

The applicant guidebook states:

ICANN’s goal is to launch subsequent gTLD application rounds as quickly as possible. The exact timing will be based on experiences gained and changes required after this round is completed. The goal is for the next application round to begin within one year of the close of the application submission period for the initial round.

ICANN has committed to reviewing the effects of the New gTLD Program on the operations of the root zone system
after the first application round, and will defer the delegations in a second application round until it is
determined that the delegations resulting from the first round did not jeopardize root zone system security or
stability.

It is the policy of ICANN that there be subsequent application rounds, and that a systemized manner of
applying for gTLDs be developed in the long term.

ICANN may be a little too optimistic here. As Kevin Murphy points out, ICANN has made a lot of commitments to review its program before proceeding with more top level domains.

But the guidebook clearly states a goal of one year after the current application submission period ends. That would be only about 14 months from today.

Why is this important? A number of brands are waiting until the last minute with hopes of getting clarification.

A preview of the week ahead in Santa Monica.

The largest domain name conference, DOMAINfest, takes place in Santa Monica this week. There’s a lot to look for in the 2012 edition. Here are six questions that will be answered before the end of the week.

1. How will Oversee.net’s new leadership present itself?

Oversee.net branded itself largely with former CEO Jeff Kupietzky. Now Oversee.net has new leadership with co-presidents Debra Domeyer and Scott Morrow. Domeyer attended TRAFFIC last Fall, but for most people this conference will be the first introduction to the pair.

2. Will Oversee.net address Moniker?

It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that Oversee.net has been shopping around Moniker. Also this month we saw the departure of some of Moniker’s longtime account managers. As a Moniker customer, I received no notice of the account manager changes.

Will Oversee continue to be silent about Moniker? Or will it address the changes head on to instill confidence. Confidence, after all, is one of the most important things people consider when selecting a registrar.

3. Will the new parties make up for the (lack of) Playboy Mansion?

There’s no trip to the Playboy Mansion this year. After over 100 people got sick last year I think that’s probably OK with most people.

But there will still be a Playboy element. .Co is sponsoring a party at Petersen Automotive Museum that will include some playmates as well as the star of the GoDaddy .co Super Bowl commercial Natalia Velez.

The final night party will be at House of Blue and includes “edgy, sexy and interactive entertainment”. It will be interesting.

4. How many people will be there?

DOMAINfest has attracted 700 people in recent years. That’s about the peak I could imagine if it’s mostly domainers. But the show is shifting — just like the company — and is attracting more from the lead gen, affiliate, and SEO spaces.

5. Can DOMAINfest successfully include topics outside the typical domainer realm?

This year you’ll hear a lot more about lead gen, SEO, and affiliate marketing at the show. It will be interesting to see how this shift is managed.

6. What big company announcements will be made?

Domain companies tend to make big announcements during domain conferences. Already this morning Sedo announced a deal with GoDaddy. What big deals and announcements will we hear this week?

There you have it. Six big questions that we’ll know the answer to by the end of the week.

See you in Santa Monica.

A Shuzi bracelet is supposed to work miracles, but it doesn’t have powers to “steal” domain names.

ShuziQi, which sells “Shuzi” bracelets, has lost a domain dispute over the domain Shuzi.com.

The details of the case aren’t as entertaining as what Shuzi is, so I’ll be brief on the case. Basically, the owner of the domain registered it four years before ShuziQi existed, and Shuzi’s English transliteration can mean “digital”. The domain owner registered several other domains that had generic transliterations. The panel ruled in favor of the respondent.

OK, now on to Shuzi.

ShuziQi offers bracelets you wear that apparently have awesome powers. Here’s how they describe them:

Programmed using our own proprietary process to resonate with your cells’ natural frequency to improve your bio-system balance. Reinforces your cells’ natural frequency energy level which reduces erratic cell behavior, allowing your body to work more efficiently.

Hmm. I was a little skeptical until I read the reviews on the web site. The first doctor’s review:

Earlier today I received a Shuzi bracelet to try out. I support the philosophy behind the Shuzi and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve their overall quality of life.

Sweet. If a doctor hasn’t tried it yet but just got one in the mail, I’m all for it. I think I should get one for my dog, too, after reading this testimonial:

I wouldn’t believe it if it wasn’t for my daughters little dog Tammy. The kids jumped on the bed and didn’t see little Tammy. She spent a week in the vets with a very severe back injury. They gave her anti inflammatory shots and sent her home with pills. A week at home and she still had difficulty walking. My daughter put the PHD tag on the Tammy on Monday night and on Tuesday the she was scampering down the driveway. Dogs can’t lie, I’m sold. I’ve ordered a ring and can’t wait to put it on.

If you start using a ShuziQi bracelet and experience dizziness for the first few days, don’t be alarmed. Apparently this is caused by “a “detox” in which your body is flushing out toxins in your blood stream.”