Idea could help people register a domain and trademark at the same time.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent number 10,956,516 (pdf) to Oath Inc. (Yahoo) for “Collectively performing domain searches and trademark searches.”
The patent describes a system for searching for domains and trademarks at the same time. It appears that Oath’s primary purpose is for a domain search that can cross-sell trademark registration to the registrant. For example, the system will pitch registering a trademark for “example” to someone who registered the domain example.com. (Presumably, they’d need to file an intent-to-use trademark application if they are registering a domain for a new business.)
This idea could also be used to warn registrants that a domain they are registering is similar to a trademark.
I ran a quick search at Yahoo Domains and didn’t see this idea implemented, although it could be applied after you finish registering the domain.
Oath applied for the patent in June 2018 and it was granted today.
Great idea.
Hmmmm… Here is an article from 1998 where I launched the same damn idea!
https://www.mactech.com/1998/09/23/npl-new-domain-name-registration-service/
“Oath applied for the trademark in June 2018 and it was granted today” should read “Oath applied for the patent in June 2018 and it was granted today” (patent and trademark are not synonyms!)
That’s what happens when you write about a patent about trademarks 🙂
Thanks for pointing that out.
That “patent” needs to be objected and deleted ASAP. There is zero innovation in it. Patents aren’t “ideas” – you can’t patent an “idea”. You can only patent innovations – not common practice ideas. And the reason patents are being registered is to deny third parties to use it:
In other words Oath wants to reserve the right to deny others to cross check to public databases (here domain registries and USPTO) – that’s just gross. People do that since decades – it’s not an “innovation”.