The operators of the premium domain Membership.com have applied for the matching trademark with the USPTO, MEMBERSHIP.COM.
The mark consists of the stylized terms “MEMBERSHIP” and “.COM” and a penguin to the left of the term. These are the services the mark is applied for:
Sales agency services, namely, sale of third-party memberships, namely, membership club services in the form of discounts on travel and merchandise, and in the form of providing discounts on business professional services
Insurance brokerage in the field of health insurance, property insurance, life insurance, and casualty insurance.
The trademark application was filed with an “intend to use” clause, indicating that no such previous use is claimed. Checking the domain’s WHOIS we see no significant changes indicating a change in ownership; the information has remained the same (” Specialized Association Services”) since at least 2003. Membership.com was registered in 1995.
Why was MEMBERSHIP.COM applied for as a trademark at the USPTO?
It’s an ongoing trend among owners of generic domain names, following the decision by SCOTUS on the Booking.com trademark application.
Since then, dozens of generic domain names have been applied to be registered as trademarks, inclusive of the TLD. We keep track of these applications, and so far none has been decided upon.
As of January 5th, 2021, BOOKING.COM is a registered trademark with the USPTO.
Will these applications become the new norm? Watch this video from NamesCon Online 2020.
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