Ryan LLC, operators of the ultra-premium domain name Tax.com, have filed for the registration of the matching mark, TAX.COM, with the USPTO.
The application cites December 15, 2022 as the date of first use of the mark in interstate commerce. The domain was acquired by Ryan LLC in 2013, most likely for seven figures.
The class that the mark TAX.COM was applied for is:
“Software as a service (SAAS) for use in real and personal property tax compliance and appeals management, sales and use tax calculation and compliance, unclaimed property compliance, transfer pricing documentation and reporting, and identification of public and private funding sources”
It’s noted, however, that the mark application involves the Supplemental Register, a secondary list for trademarks and service marks that don’t qualify for the Principal Register. In recent months, many applications matching generic domain names were deemed as “generic” by the USPTO; the use of the Supplemental Register can potentially avoid that result.
Ryan LLC also owns and operates the plural form, Taxes.com. That domain was acquired for $250,000 dollars in a Sedo auction in 2019.
Applying for the registration of matching marks is 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.
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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