Typo-redirect service Paxfire adds to patent portfolio.
Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. patent 7,631,101 (pdf) for “Systems and methods for direction of communication traffic.” Here’s the abstract:
An Internet traffic redirection architecture is disclosed that allows for directing of trash traffic to specified sites. The system or method allows a controller, such as an ISP, to benefit from mistyped Internet addresses so that participating partners of the ISP are presented to the customer when the requests a web site that is not found or does not exist. The system decreases lost traffic by means of capturing unresolved “trash†traffic on the Internet and redirecting said traffic to a search engine partner and/or other partners.
This is actually a continuation of previous patents registered to a Virginia-based Paxfire. Paxfire is one of the bigger players enabling the world’s largest typosquatting scam, perpetrated by companies such as Verizon. When users of ISPs that use Paxfire type a non-existent web address, they are forwarded to a page full of ads. And since basically all generic domain names are already registered, that means most of these typos are basically trademark typos, or at least typos of legitimate web sites.
According to Paxfire’s web site:
…no one has been monetizing Address Bar Search and DNS Error traffic longer or more effectively, and no one delivers a better return to its partners. That is why over 35 of the world’s leading telephone companies, cable companies, traditional ISPs and other network operators have chosen Paxfire as their partner for participating in the booming search engine advertising market.
Competitors include U.K.-based Barefruit, which has a European patent for its technology, and Nominum. .Com registry VeriSign is an investor in Nominum.
laxbutsane says
The worm will turn on Verizon. they have made themselves a target by harrassing domainers.
Verizon’s legal strategy is going to backfire.
I can forsee a class action against them in the billions.
If I were Warren for example, I’d be shopping that idea around to Class Action attorneys.
Ed says
The patent number 6,332,158 filed in 1998 may be of interest here. It is currently assigned to Iscatel Inc a Massachusetts company. Here are some related links:
http://www.circleid.com/posts/85760_verisign_patent_sitefinder_resolution/
http://www.icannwatch.org/article.pl?sid=03/09/21/0419259
The patent covers the use of DNS redirection for advertising so I believe it superceeds all Paxfire as well as VeriSign (7,337,910)
patents.
ken says
I believe patent number is: 6,332,158 filed in 1998 may be of interest here.
It is currently assigned to Iscatel Inc, a Massachusetts company.
Here are some related links:
http://www.circleid.com/posts/85760_verisign_patent_sitefinder_resolution/
http://www.icannwatch.org/article.pl?sid=03/09/21/0419259
The patent covers the use of DNS redirection for advertising so it superceeds all Paxfire as well as VeriSign (7,337,910)
patents.