Metawatch.com: Domain auction shadowed by “Meta” trademark

Meta domain names have become the focus of investors & opportunists, ever since Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the formation of Meta Platforms as a new umbrella company.

Meta has actively sought to acquire domains, such as Meta.com, social media handles, and has filed UDRP cases against domain squatters.

Protecting its Meta brand, Facebook/Meta is expected to continue its activities across all aspects of the broader tech industry.

The domain name Metawatch.com was recently auctioned on DropCatch, closing at $9,102 dollars. Source: NameBio. The same domain was sold via Sedo in 2011 for $800 dollars. That sale was related to the launch of the MetaWatch in 2012, a smart watch that apparently was discontinued.

Meanwhile, Meta Platforms registered the domain Metawatch.us in 2021 and while not resolving, the domain is under the control of Meta Platforms Inc.

It is not clear what Meta is planning to do with it, but the change in ownership of MetaWatch.com is considered by most panelists at NAF and the WIPO as a “fresh registration.” In this case, due to the domain’s drop it is an actual new registration that might expose the auction’s winner to potential UDRP filings.

Copyright © 2024 DomainGang.com · All Rights Reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 characters available