The registration of .mobi domains has been opened to all-comers
The new .mobi domain has been available to trademark holders since May

'Pointless' .mobi landrush launched

Registration open to all - if you can find anything left

Will Head

The registration of .mobi domains has been opened to all-comers, although most of the decent names are likely to have been claimed already.

The new domain, aimed specifically at mobile devices, has been available to trademark holders since May. Over 12,000 names have already been snapped up.

Advertisement

Punters can now go and register any names that are left, although those looking for decent generic names are likely to be disappointed.

The dotMobi registry has reserved over 5,500 so-called 'premium generic terms', such as sex.mobi and sun.mobi, which it claims is designed to avoid domain names falling into the wrong hands. 

Anyone that wishes to apply for a premium name must first stump up a whopping $1,500 to the World Intellectual Property Organisation for accreditation. Only once this has been approved can they then attempt to register the domain.

Rachel Lashford, senior analyst and research manager at Canalys, told vnunet.com that, although not quite cyber-squatting, the approach "does seem a rather underhand tactic". 

"Having another top level domain is a completely pointless exercise," she said.

Bloggers looking for a top mobile name will be disappointed. The address blog.mobi has already been taken - by the dotMobi registry itself. The site redirects to a Typepad blog which is not optimised for mobile devices. 

Jonathan Robinson, chief operating officer at NetNames, said: "Any organisation which has yet to secure its .mobi trademarks has left itself wide open to abuse from cyber-squatters, domain name speculators and competitors." 

Neil Edwards, chief executive at dotMobi, added: "We are creating a link between mobile operators, internet content providers and the millions of mobile users seeking a consistent, reliable and enjoyable internet experience."

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Tags:

Do you agree?

Further reading

Owners of trademarks may begin applying for .mobi premium names from 15 September

Mobile domain opened up to trademark holders

Premium .mobi names to be released on 15 September

Companies need to act swiftly to protect their mobile online presence from competitors and cyber-squatters as the new .mobi domains go up for grabs

Land grab begins for .mobi web domains

Mobile firms urged to act quickly to defeat cyber-squatters

Mobile internet uptake slow

Users still not switching on to services on the go

Rejection of porn domain sparks legal battle

Firm behind .xxx attacks US Department of Commerce

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

eu flag

V3.co.uk weekly debrief, 6 Nov 09

This week, Europe decides what to do with illegal file sharers

Intel unveils its micro server platform

Small-enclosure systems take aim at hosting market

Analysis and Reports

Remote access - Three steps to getting connected

3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?

Cost benefits of a global collaboration network

This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications

Poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

What is the biggest problem your firm faces as a result of the data explosion?

View poll results

Advertisement

White paper library

Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Advertisement

Spotlight

Alcatel-Lucent logo

Summit: Networks swamped by information overload

Alcatel-Lucent's Neal Tilley talks about how enterprises and carriers can...

EU flag

Breach notification laws get green light

Privacy rights strengthened in Europe

Richard Thomas

Summit: Richard Thomas advises on handling the data deluge

Former Information Commissioner speaks out on government databases and data...

oracle sun

War of words escalates between EU and Oracle

Commission comes out fighting after criticism from Oracle and Washington

Primary Navigation