Apple, if you haven’t noticed, has control issues. Like all tech giants in their respective areas of lucrative expertise, Apple is adamant about owning all web domains pertinent to Apple products and themes.
As recently as this past May, Apple pursued ownership of iPhone5.com through the World Intellectual Property Organization. Until then, that domain was owned by a non-Apple entity. One month later, the World Intellectual Property Organization sided with Apple and helped the company gain swift control of the iphone5.com domain name.
Although a lot of critics blasted Apple for not being smart enough to purchase all iPhone-related domains in the first place, Apple still managed to wrangle the domains away from those who sought to capitalize on the powerful digital real-estate.
Just this week, Apple was at it again. Following the 2010 acquisition of iPad3.com by Global Access – a domain squatting specialist that seeks to sell valuable domain names – Apple has filed a case with the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Apple has asked the WIPO to make Global Access fork over the iPad3.com domain name to Apple, the rightful trademark owner of the iPad brand, name, image, and likeness.
Global Access has a longer list of legal losses in this regard than the Chicago Cubs have losing seasons. So it’s pretty obvious that Apple is going to get what it wants.
One just has to wonder if Apple will get around to being a little more proactive about domain name acquisitions before legal skirmishes become the only recourse.
