| Getting clicks and traffic by accident appears to be | | | | receives, and finally use the information to |
| bigbusiness. And by 'big' I mean worth MILLIONS of | | | | selladvertising for the web sites that receive a high |
| dollars! Whiletyposquatting is unfortunately not a new | | | | volume ofaccidental traffic. Ironically, advertising |
| online marketingpractice, its use and, moreover, its | | | | revenue might comefrom selling ads to the original |
| ABUSE has grownsignificantly and exponentially since | | | | site's competitors or byproviding redirect pages to |
| 2000. Cybersquatting meansregistering, trafficking in or | | | | related products or services. Thereare multiple ways in |
| using a domain name with theintent to profit in bad faith | | | | which typosquatters may turn typos intorevenue. |
| from the goodwill of a trademarkthat belongs to | | | | When surfers mistype popular URLs, squatter |
| someone else. It commonly refers to the practiceof | | | | companiesthrow up ads in hidden browser windows, |
| buying up domain names that use incorporate the | | | | making money off of adsfew people see. As a |
| names ofexisting businesses with the intent to sell the | | | | consequence, companies such as AT&T Corp.and |
| names for aprofit to those businesses. | | | | The New York Times are paying for ad impressions |
| The term derives from squatting, thepractice of building | | | | even thoughthe ads are buried. |
| some kind of home or dwelling or in someway using | | | | Finally, when visitors try to close theirbrowsers or |
| someone else's landed property without | | | | otherwise leave the web site in question, there isone |
| theirpermission. Typosquatting, although very similar | | | | more attempt at monetizing the mistake. Another |
| tocybersquatting, has a slightly different, but much | | | | browserwindow usually pops up, with a different web |
| more seriouspurpose: it is employed by people who | | | | site's name. Thisone contains more advertisements. It's |
| want to divert traffic totheir websites. Typosquatters | | | | a never ending story thatsure gets on the nerves of |
| typically purchase a domain namethat is a variation of | | | | most of us! The success of companiesthat practice |
| a popular domain name with theexpectation that some | | | | Cybersquatter points out some serious flaws in the |
| of the traffic for the original web sitewill stray to theirs | | | | Internet's domain name system and in two of the |
| by capitalizing on web surfers´misspellings of | | | | web's mostprominent revenue models: Affiliate |
| those popular domain names. How can | | | | Programs and Advertising |
| largecompanies, with all their IT experts, not foresee | | | | Reselling. Advertising resellers such as 24/7 Media Inc., |
| something likethis happening? How come they allow | | | | Inc. and iBoost Technology Inc. contract withlarge |
| tons of opportunistics tomake revenue every time | | | | advertisers and then automatically feed ads onto |
| innocent Internet users mistype theoriginal brandnames | | | | thousandsof web sites. The automated method of |
| or trademarks? The answer is, | | | | placing ads on sites canmake tracking where those |
| cybersquattingoriginated at a time when most | | | | ads end up a very difficult task. |
| businesses were not savvy aboutthe commercial | | | | Needless to say, typosquatters do not think there is |
| opportunities on the Internet. | | | | anythingwrong with using people's errors to grow |
| Sinceopportunities like these rarely knock on one's | | | | traffic. |
| door more thanonce, these so-called 'entrepreneurs' | | | | However, it isa whole different story when |
| reserved and registereddomain names corresponding | | | | typosquatting is employed bypornographers to attract |
| to the names of well-known businesseswith the intent | | | | children to their websites. Until now,there have been |
| of selling the names back to the companies whenthey | | | | few methods of stopping pornographers and |
| finally woke up. Commercial domain names are | | | | othersabusing the domain name system from |
| obtained fromcompanies that are authorized to ensure | | | | misleading children andadults into accessing sites |
| that a domain name youwant is unique (no one else | | | | masquerading as popular legitimatesites. Many adult |
| already has it) and issue it to youif it is. However, these | | | | web sites misrepresent their content or thenature of |
| registries make no attempt to determinewhether the | | | | their sites by registering domain names that |
| domain name is one that rightfully ought to go | | | | areintentionally confusing, using page coding designed |
| tosomeone else. The principle is 'First come, first | | | | to misleadsearch engines, distributing false advertising |
| served.' | | | | to promote sitetraffic, or hijacking visitors of another |
| Panasonic, Fry's Electronics, Hertz and Avon were | | | | site. The problem isparticularly serious when children |
| among thefirst targets of cybersquatters. Well-known | | | | are involved. Just as adultsdo, children get spam and |
| products, sports andpolitical figures and other celebrities | | | | unsolicited instant messages withgraphic sexual |
| are also among thevictims. | | | | images, content, or links to pornographic sites. |
| Today,, although the practice itself is | | | | Statistics show that 20% to 30% of traffic to adult |
| growing,opportunities for cybersquatters are rapidly | | | | sites iscomprised of children. Many masquerade as |
| diminishing,because most businesses now know that | | | | messages from trustedfriends or web sites. Children |
| nailing down domain namesis a top priority. Although | | | | also may be tricked into visitinga pornographic site |
| trademark laws may offer someprotection, it is often | | | | when they search for age-appropriate wordsor |
| cheaper to buy the domain name from | | | | phrases on a search engine. |
| thecybersquatter than it is to sue for its use: these | | | | Even if you find it hard tobelieve, depending on the |
| processescost money, and though you may be able to | | | | type of marketing or advertising modelused by a |
| recover your costs andattorney fees if you win, there | | | | particular web site, there may be no incentive tofilter |
| is no guarantee; it's completelyup to the judge. Among | | | | children. In fact, targeting children may be an |
| some of the most famous examples ofdomains resold | | | | effectiveway of increasing ad revenue. The name of |
| by cybersquatters to companies are; | | | | the game is web sitetraffic where adult sites are |
| for over $1 million, for $3.5million and the unprecedented | | | | concerned. So they cannot relyjust on keywords to |
| $7.5 million paid for | | | | increase traffic. As part of the Amber Alertlegislation, |
| Business.com, all in 1999. Cybersquatters may also | | | | typosquatting is now a crime in the United States. |
| regularlycomb lists of recently expired domain names, | | | | Porn network czar John Zuccarini was the first person |
| hoping to sell backthe name to a registrant who | | | | chargedunder the new typosquatting law by the U.S. |
| inadvertently let their domain nameexpire. | | | | Attorney's office inthe Southern District of New York |
| How do you know if the domain name you want is | | | | and pleaded guilty in 2004. Hewas sentenced to two |
| beingused by a cybersquatter? As a general rule, first | | | | and a half years in prison. Until theenactment of the |
| check to seeif the domain name takes you to a | | | | Protect Act (most commonly known as the 'Amber |
| legitimate website. If ittakes you to a website that | | | | Alert' legislation), stopping typosquatters was a civil |
| appears to be functional andreasonably related in its | | | | matter,or perhaps (under extraordinary circumstances) |
| subject matter to the domain name, youprobably are | | | | a consumer fraudmatter. The sites Zuccarini has been |
| not facing a case of cybersquatting. But if you owna | | | | found to have cybersquattedinclude those referring to |
| trademark and find that someone is holding it hostage | | | | Nicole Kidman, Backstreet Boys, |
| as adomain name until you pay a large sum for it, you | | | | Encarta and others. His manipulation of Aaron Carter's |
| may be thevictim of cybersquatting. You can sue to | | | | and |
| get your domain name --and possibly some money | | | | Britney Spears' names is among his more recent |
| damages -- under a 1999 federal lawknown as the | | | | abuses. Courtshave already held that there is no |
| Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act or | | | | legitimate purpose for |
| youcan initiate arbitration proceedings under the | | | | Zuccarinin registering and using the typo-domains other |
| authority of the | | | | than totrade on the popularity of the underlying domain |
| Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers | | | | names,celebrities and products involved. |
| (ICANN) andwin the name back without the expense | | | | In summary, cybersquatters and typosquatters are |
| and aggravation of alawsuit. | | | | unethicalcompanies and individuals that want to profit |
| The ICANN arbitration system is considered by | | | | from your family'sand your own confusion and spelling |
| trademarkexperts to be faster and less expensive | | | | mistakes. If you want tohelp protect your children and |
| than suing under the | | | | others online, drop by and report those who are |
| ACPA, and the procedure does not require an | | | | engaged inthese and other unscrupulous online |
| attorney. | | | | marketing practices. Becomea member for free and |
| Typosquatting, however, is a much more dangerous | | | | sign up to receive our Newsletters withuseful and |
| practicebecause it is commonly used by | | | | valuable information on how to handle abuses on the |
| pornographers. Typosquatting isbased on the | | | | Internet. Also, look for more articles on related topics |
| probability that a certain number of Internet userswill | | | | on ourweb site. You will learn how we can really make |
| mistype the name of a web site (or its URL) when | | | | a difference byworking together with consumers and |
| browsingthe web. Typosquatters usually register | | | | companies to preserve |
| several possible typosfor a brand name or web site | | | | Internet users' freedom and privacy while promoting |
| known for its high traffic, thenmonitor to see how | | | | loyaladvertising and good art on marketing practices. |
| many clicks per day each of their typo domainnames | | | | |