Twitter Squatter - Has your company claimed their name on Twitter?

By
Real Estate Agent with HER Realtors

TM Wordle

Tee hee...

Twitter Squatter just sounds funny to me.  Well lot of the applications for Twitter sound silly too.  Twellow, Tweetdeck, Twhirl, but some of those are darn useful for twittering.  Twitter is microblogging.  Blogging in 140 characters.

Link to 'Trademark Copyright and all that jazz' Wordle

Tech Dirt's  Twitter Squatters Take Over Where Domain Squatters Left Off: Resolution Policy Needed  written by Michael Masnick says:

In 1994, reporter Joshua Quittner famously registered the domain name mcdonalds.com, and wrote a whole article about how so many top brand names were available for registering by anyone who wanted them.

Cyber Squatting

According to the Tech  Dirt post domain squatting was all the rage in the 1990's... the key to riches and results with the Internet?  Buy that URL for a big brands name!

Problem was the big brands came in and took back their names and kicked some butts in the process.

The Tech Dirt article says:

"Erik Heels, an internet-savvy lawyer (and regular Techdirt reader) has gone through Twitter and discovered that of the top 100 global brands, only 7 have their main brand registered as a Twitter ID."

The rest are Twitter Squatters?

Heels registered @MoetChandon a distinguished champagne producer.

Heels post has a chart of who is using their brand name and who is NOT.

In 2006  Sellsius Real Esate Blog identified my version of a local real estate cyber squatting story as their favorite on my blog. Ever been tempted to use the internet and your competitors brand to profit or just to play games? Here's my cartoony version of a local real estate story.  "why were they sitting in a tree?"

 

@ActiveRain

John Jones was twittering as @ActiveRain wasn't he?  I have wondered if the @ActiveRainBoys just asked him to use another twitter handle, roughed him up a little (not their style?) to get Jones to stop using @ActiveRain  or if they made John Jones an offer he could not refuse... 

we'll "give you 100,000 ActiveRain points for the @ActiveRain handle on Twitter?"

John Jones twitters as @WeeklySEO now.

@YourName

I was @MaureenMcCabe on Twiitter and I gave it up!!! Duh! Does that bother me?  Not if I don't to think of it.   I am now @MoinColumbusOH because of a comment made by A Grey.  I am not blaming A Grey @Vidlisting for my decision to give up @MaureenMcCabe.  @MoinColumbusOH works fine.  I should have, could have hung onto @MaureenMcCabe even if I was not going to use it.   Live and learn.

Really it does NOT bother me that much. I own MaureenMcCabe.com I have for years.  I am not the only Maureen McCabe in the world.  It is really a pretty common name.

@YourBrokeragesName

Is your comapny or brokerage twittering?   Should they be?  Should you suggest they grab their name before a squatter does? Or would it just feel to absurd to sit down with the CEO and try to explain Twitter?

Real Living is twittering as @RealLiving   I don't believe Real Living HER (Real Living  in Columbus Ohio) is twittering.. Would real estate brands twittering on a local level be a good idea? Or spammy?

There ought to be a law....

Do you think there ought to be a law?  Or should Twitter (and the next big thing to  come along) be the wild, wild west?  Or is there a law?  US Patent and Trademark Office   Do US Trademark laws cover Twitter?  Or that next big thing that comes along?

 


 

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Comments (6)

Richard Shuman
The Only B.S. I Have is from the University of Massachusetts - Lake Mary, FL
Real Estate Broker - Orlando Area - Love Referrals

I think some people don't understand that they cannot take someone elses name!

Jan 11, 2009 03:29 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

If you read the comments on Tech Dirt there are comments about those big ole, nasty,  mean, greedy  corporations being in the wrong if they try to take back the names from Twitter Squatters or the NextBigThingToHitTheInternet.com Squatters....

Jan 11, 2009 03:36 AM
Jo Olson
HOMEFRONT Realty - Kettle Falls, WA
Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt

Ok - just because I am paranoid - lol! I went and grabbed WestSoundLive - will I use it - hmm maybe don't know. - but its now mine! lol!

Jan 11, 2009 03:51 AM
Sandy McAlpine
RE/MAX EXECUTIVE - Cornelius, NC
Search Lake Norman Homes For Sale - Lake Norman NC

Wow! those are some amazing points! So many people twitter under assumed names that I am not sure that people would think the twittering person under the "chains" name is real or not. Am i saying that right? Maybe it doesn't matter? Twitter has rules on using celebrity or corporate identities when you are not. They will kick you off if caught

Jan 11, 2009 04:06 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

eye keyhole I wouldn't want anyone to be paranoid Jo... espeicially when it comes to Twitter.... Can you Twitter if you are paranoid?

Sandy I am not sure I knew that "Twitter has rules on using celebrity or corporate identities when you are not. They will kick you off if caught"  I used to follow someone who was Twittering the marketing guru guys stuff... bald headed guy?  Purple Cow?  Can't think of his name.  He said it was not him. Part of Heel's post is that Twitter's efforts are not effetive.  I think there are getting tougher on it but if you can believe the chart there are lots of BIG Global corporations where someone is Twittering but it is not the corporation.  I don't believe the corporations have to know what the next biggest thing is and be ready to claim their trademark or name.  That's why they've registered their Trademarks.  

I have an XTra Twitter name...

 

Jan 11, 2009 04:16 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Ick I would change that comment if I still had an edit button.  That eye is too close to my photo....

Feb 17, 2009 04:18 AM