Hoot.com : Trademark application indicates #domain sale took place

The operators of Hoot.com, a premium domain registered in 1995, have applied for the registration of HOOT.COM as a trademark.

The application was filed with the USPTO on March 25, 2021, with an “intent to use” clause indicating the mark isn’t in use yet. The following services are part of the application:

mortgage lending; mortgage brokerage; correspondent purchasing and loan services, namely, correspondent mortgage purchasing, mortgage loan financing, and mortgage loan servicing

The trademark’s applicant is Hoot.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation and the USPTO application is signed by the company’s CEO, Mr. Dustin DiMisa, who is an officer with companies related to mortgage loan facilitation. A Florida company operated by the Delaware entity was also formed on February 23, 2021.

Perhaps not coincidentally, WHOIS records for the domain Hoot.com show that it changed hands on February 22, 2021. Its previous registrant operated Hoot.com as a fashion outlet, according to Archive.org, but in early 2021 it displayed some type of educational services.

We are almost certain that the domain Hoot.com was sold earlier this year, in a transaction that might have been quite noteworthy for its numbers. Hoot.com does not resolve properly, displaying a 404 error page at this time.

Why was HOOT.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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