Squatters picked up Google Listen names many years ago.
Google has launched a new music and audio servicecalled Google Listen, which was sometimes referred to as Google Audio as news about the launch leaked over the past couple days. Unfortunately for Google, relevant domain names have already been snatched up.
GoogleListen.com was originally registered back in 2005. The owner let the domain expire in 2006, and then the new owner let the domain name expire earlier this year. It was snapped up again, and the current owner uses whois privacy protection to protect his identity.
GoogleListen.com is parked with a Google advertising partner. This partner blocks ads from showing up on domain names that include “Google” in them, but the registrant has found a work around: the domain is entered at the parking company as a non existent typo Goolgelisten.com, which doesn’t get blocked.
GoogleAudio.com was registered back in April. It appears it was registered because an audio service was in the works, and Google launched an audio indexing tool earlier this year. The domain is parked at a the same Google advertising partner, but because it includes “Google” in the domain name, the parking company isn’t showing any ads.
Tom G says
Hmm, and now they just bought listen.in . .