- iGoldRush Domain News and Resources - https://www.igoldrush.com -

Facebook Files Arbitration for Facebook.me Domain Name

Facebook, a privately held company, has filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization in an attempt to get the the Facebook.me domain name. The domain is currently registered to Amjad Abbas, a United Arab Emirates man.

.Me domain names are actually ccTLD domain names, the country code for Montenegro. However, the name has been commercialized by the registry to represent a more personalized “me” domain name. The extension has spawned many personal and popular names such as youand.me, notify.me, and whatabout.me.

In the case of facebook.me, the phrase “Will you facebook me?” has become synonymous with “Will you friend me?” with both referring to Facebook’s “friending” features.

The question in this and every other trademark arbitration case is “Does the company deserve ever domain name that contains their trademark?” Because this name contains “facebook” should they automatically gain control over it? The problem with the facebook.me case is that the domain is currently forwarding to facebook.com. Because of this, it’s a fairly open and shut case for Facebook. The company is likely to gain control as it appears that the name was registered specifically with the social media giant in mind.