It seems that many companies are a step behind when it comes to domain registrations. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all failed to get domains registered in advance, leading to lawsuits. Now, Take Two is in the same boat, filing suit to claim GTAV.com as their own.
At the moment, GTAV.com will redirect you to the official Rockstar page. However, the actual domain is owned by a Spanish resident. A case has been lodged with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): D2013-1382.
It looks like they might have learned their lesson; while GTAVI.com is being used by someone else, GTAVII and GTAVIII.com both redirect to the Rockstar page. GTAIX.com is a reserved domain, while GTAX.com is a tax and financial planners website. So, I suppose we won’t have repeats of this problem for several years to come. I just wonder why companies didn’t plan ahead and register all these numbers when franchises became successful. It doesn’t cost much and would save on all the legal fees and aggravation.
Last Updated: August 7, 2013
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 7, 2013 at 15:17
So what happens, dude gets moolah or what?
Trevor Davies
August 7, 2013 at 15:22
If he’s using it for himself, there’s nothing really they can do except throw money at him, but if he’s just sitting on it in the hopes of making cash from Rockstar then it can be taken away.
ElimiNathan
August 7, 2013 at 15:21
Haha, ye terrible planning on the companies part but excellent on the dude who now owns its part. I’m sure he can make some dosh from this ? Legally I mean
Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer
August 7, 2013 at 15:27
All he has to ask for is like 1% kickback in sales…
ElimiNathan
August 7, 2013 at 15:28
Haha ye he will be SORTED
Marc O Polo
August 7, 2013 at 17:21
not sure what the total will be thou, was max payne 1 or 2 discs on xbox?
Marc O Polo
August 7, 2013 at 17:19
and he’ll be told to go fuck himself by rockstar! u cant win against the lawyers that big companies use.
R*
August 10, 2013 at 19:49
Why would R* want to kill their PR by bullying this guy
Marc O Polo
August 11, 2013 at 05:25
i didn’t say bully the guy but if you try extort to much money from them there lawyers will crush you!
Tbone187
August 7, 2013 at 15:42
Or they could come up with more imaginative names for their games…
Marc O Polo
August 7, 2013 at 17:26
that would be too logical it seems…
InsanityFlea
August 7, 2013 at 15:50
Just have a main domain with a bunch of sub domains really …… what’s wrong with GTA.com then V.GTA.COM and VI.GTA.COM. less hassle that both methods in the article. GTA.com could have links to all the different GTA games. (something like that for an example)
Wtf101
August 7, 2013 at 15:54
Nah. That makes too much sense. Rather just do it the big business way. Bully the little guy.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
August 7, 2013 at 17:54
Stop talking sense man! WHat are you doing here talking sense!? Can’t you see that it’s not how it works??
Seriously though, I agree with you. Why all the hassle when there is such an easy solution is beyond me
Gerard Matthews
August 10, 2013 at 11:40
It also comes down to domain name searchs on search engines. If you have a domain name match on keywords that people are searching for it will yield you much better placing and thereby more traffic.
For example if someone searchs for “GTAVI” the domain name GTAVI.com will more likely come up first than the sub domain VI.GTA.com.
There are other factors that come into play but that could be the reason they fight so hard for it.
RinceThisandholiday
August 10, 2013 at 12:47
Agreed, there is a huge SEO element to name registrations.