Apple is planning ahead for the release of the next iPhone by filing a complaint (Case number: D2012-0951) with the World Intellectual Property Organization over iPhone5.com. The domain dispute popped up on WIPO’s website this week.
Anyone who visits the website of iPhone5.com today will be greeted by smart phone advertisements and online forums discussing the iPhone 5.
Although Apple has been known to open its wallet to acquire domain names, in the past year it has selected to go the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) route. And it’s had a lot of success.
The company secured rights to iphone4s.com, iphoneporn4s.com, iphonesex4s.com, iphonexxxforce.com, iphone4s.com and other domains that were being used by an adult website operator, after filing a similar dispute with WIPO.
But, that’s not all.
Apple has won disputes over applesales.com, appleproductsonline.com, appleipods.com, and even ipods.com, just to name a few.
In mid-July 2011, Apple acquired the domain names iPhone4.com and WhiteiPhone.com for an undisclosed amount, opting to pay for the domain names.
In the years to come, expect to see more iPhone domain disputes. At the time of this story, Apple doesn’t own iPhone6.com, iPhone7.com, iPhone8.com, iPhone9.com, iPhone10.com — you get the idea.
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